Jodhpur, Feb. 19 -- The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday ruled that denying farmers crop insurance benefits under the Fasal Bima Yojana due to a technical error by the bank was contrary to the timely welfare-oriented nature of the scheme. The court dismissed petitions filed by the Nagaur Central Cooperative Bank regarding the payment of insurance claims to farmers in the Kamediya Patwar area of Nagaur district and directed the bank to ensure payment of the insurance claim amount, along with interest, within eight weeks. A single bench of Justice Kuldeep Mathur noted that the dispute arose because the farmers' revenue village and Patwar area were registered by mistake as Kherat instead of Kamediya on the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP). Consequently, despite the loss of the 2020 Kharif crop, the farmers' insurance claims remained pending on technical grounds. The bench noted that the farmers had paid insurance premiums on time and the crop was damaged due to scanty rainfall during Kharif 2020. The bench said: "The PMFBY seeks to ensure income stability for farmers by covering crop-related risks from the pre-sowing stage to the post-harvest period, thereby offering a holistic insurance framework. By reducing the vulnerability of farmers to crop failure, the scheme aims to instil confidence in agricultural activities and encourage the adoption of modern and improved farming practices. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in sustaining the flow of institutional credit to the agricultural sector, thereby contributing to the overall stability and growth of the rural economy." "The petitioners-farmers had furnished the requisite particulars to the concerned Primary Co-operative Society and had no role whatsoever in the online data entry process," the bench added. The bench observed: "The petitioners are small and marginal farmers having their only source of income based on farming, and to protect their livelihood, the Government of India has implemented the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. However, the Co-operative Bank has deprived the farmers of the benefit of such scheme without there being any fault on their part. Rather, the petitioners-farmers had to suffer the agony of litigation thrice to obtain their legitimate claim under the scheme."...