Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board Chairman resigns

Attorney At Law Premachandra Epa has resigned from his post as the Chairman of Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) at a time when the government is preparing to pay compensation worth Rs. 40 billion to more than a million rice farmers whose crops failed under the 100 per cent organic farming scheme.

Mr. Gamage has tendered his resignation letter to Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage citing personnel reasons, official sources said.

The AAIB operates a comprehensive insurance scheme for the benefit of agriculturists, in respect of crops, including plantation crops, medicinal plants, and fishermen, fisheries, forestry and livestock, which will indemnify them against losses, and with a view to providing stability to agriculturists and to promoting agricultural production. However there is no provision in the AAIB rules to pay compensation for man-made disasters like the latest crisis.

The government has decided to pay Rs. 40,000 rupees each to farmers whose harvests were affected due to the chemical fertiliser ban,

Around one third of agricultural land has not been cultivated last year owing to the import ban on chemical fertiliser and agro chemicals, ministry records divulged.

(Bandula)