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| Sunday, 5 December 2004 |
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Farmers to be covered by insurance and pension scheme by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi An islandwide farmer insurance and pension scheme will be implemented next year. Under the rehabilitation and rejuvenation projects for the Agriculture and Livestock sector by the Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation believes that the farmer and livestock community should be covered by a sound insurance and pension scheme. According to the available statistics of the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB), at present the AAIB pays Rs. 30 million to their members as pension payments per month. Rs. One Hundred and Seventeen (117) million has been paid to farmers upto 30th September, 2004 from its inception on 1987 as Death and Disable Insurance payments. Explaining the future plans of the AAIB, its newly-appointed chairman Dr. A. R. Ariyaratne said that 70% of the Sri Lankan population belongs to the agriculture and livestock sectors and it is both vital and humanitarian to give due recognition and security, to the agricultural community. Under the present circumstances agriculture, agrarian and livestock farmers who sacrifice their youth for the genuine development of the country, face a helpless and tragic situation during their old age. Therefore it is a noble duty to organise and implement a sound insurance and pension scheme for the farmer community, he said. The Chairman further revealed that the insurance board itself is under reorganisation to face the present challenge. Internally arrangements had been made to fill the vacancies including the top posts. On the other hand, steps will be taken for the well-being of the insurance policy holders. A fair number of insurance policy holders had not been paid on the due days due to reasons such as natural disasters and crop failures. They are considered defaulters according to the rules of the Agriculture Insurance Board, he said. It is expected to implement the agriculture policies and the activities under the direct guidance and supervision of the village-based, proposed farmer organisations in the near future. The Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board also expects to go to the farmer community and serve it, working with the village-based farmer organisations. At present the AAIB has a islandwide network of 24 district offices in Anuradhapura, Embilipitiya, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Kalutara, Mahawa, Matale, Matara, Moneragala, Manampitiya, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Puttalama, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Tambuttegama and Vavuniya. It is expected to strengthen the present Insurance field team recruiting a batch of 133 trained graduates in January. Dr. A. R. Ariyaratna, a Peradeniya University Don and the present Chairman of the Agriculture Insurance Board, believes that untiring efforts of the entire team of the Insurance Board will be able to achieve a safe future for the Sri Lankan farmer community. As a part of the new farmer-friendly concept of the Board, 5th year scholarship succeeded four hundred farmer children of policy holders were given Rs. two million recently for the first time in the history of the Agriculture Insurance Board. |
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