Dharwad: Technical difficulties in linking Aadhaar number to farmers account has been blamed for the delay in disbursement of crop insurance amount. Around 720 farmers are yet to get their insurance amount in view of this problem, said Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli.

Speaking to reporters, the DC said as many as 90,794 farmers had enrolled for the crop insurance scheme last year and a total of Rs 75.83 Crore was released to their bank accounts. The government had disbursed Rs 6,800 per hectare as insurance, he informed.

“Following no demand from farmers, the 16 fodder banks in the district have been temporarily shut. If the need arises, the fodder banks will be reopened,” he said.

He also said the government had fixed strict norms to drill borewells in the district. “One of the main reasons is to reserve water for drinking purposes in case of a water crisis because of weak monsoon. Farming work for the kharif season in the district has been badly affected by scanty rainfall. The dry spell from mid-June till the first week of July has increased farmers’ worry with limited rainfall in all five taluks, kharif sowing till July 7 was just a little above 31 percent. The Agriculture Department had fixed 2.34 lakh hectares for kharif sowing but till now only 72,500 hectares have been covered,” he added.

In Dharwad taluk, sowing has been completed in 17 percent of the targeted land, while it is 28 percent in Hubballi. It is 91 percent in Kalghatgi, 22 percent in Kundgol and 11 percent in Navalgund.

Farmers have been asked to opt for short-term crops such as groundnut, chilli, maize, jowar, chickpea, cotton and even vegetables instead of waiting for good rains, he said.