Settle farmers' claims in 15 days: Shiv Sena

Despite sharing power with the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena on Wednesday took out morcha at the office of Bharti Axa General Insurance Company to protest against delays in clearing of the premium claims of farmers under the initiatives like crop insurance and loan waiver to state farmers.

Party president Uddhav Thackeray led the morcha in the Bandra Kurla Complex and asked the insurance companies to clear premiums within 15 days, and if they fail, the party will teach them a lesson in 'Shiv Sena-style'.

Bharti Axa office was chosen as a representative private insurance company to highlight the problems faced by the farmers and seek timely clearance of premium. Farmers, especially from the drought-hit 151 tehsils, have complained about the lack of early clearance of premiums under the crop insurance and crop waiver schemes. Thackeray, who had recently travelled to some of the districts in the state, interacted with farmers in distress and promised them to take up their issue with the insurance companies.

Thackeray, in his address, insisted that government schemes should reach to the farmers. In case of crop loan waiver schemes, the farmers, whose crop loans were waived, their names should be enrolled back by the banks to provide them with fresh loans.

Sena's move aims to reach out to farmers and lure them in the run-up to the state Assembly election slated for October. It is also Thackeray's attempt to project that Shiv Sena is not power hungry and despite being in power, it will continue to raise problems faced by various sections.