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Shiv Sainiks vandalises Iffco Tokio office over delay in farmer insurance payments
Action comes a day after Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray warned insurance companies against delaying post monsoon settlement claims of farmers
A group of at least 50 Shiv Sainiks ransacked the offices of Iffco Tokio General Insurance Company at Bund Garden, Pune, on Wednesday, demanding settlements of insurance claims filed by farmers who suffered crop damage due to unseasonal rains.
The action comes a day after Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray warned insurance companies against delaying post monsoon settlement claims of farmers.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Ravindra Rasal said, “Shiv Sainiks entered the office raising slogans for settlement of claims of farmers and resorted to vandalism. We have detained all of them and they will be arrested soon.”
A site visit in the aftermath of the incident revealed the glass entrance door was smashed down by the Sainiks and a number of computers, documents, laptops, and windows were destroyed.
Iffco Tokio employees said the Sainiks first entered the offices armed with Sena flags and raised slogans regarding the compensation.
Then, before the ransacking, all staffers were asked to leave the office. Footage has been captured on company CCTVs.
Videos of the incident have also been posted on social media platforms, with Sena activists running a Facebook ‘live’ video feed of the entire action.
Shiv Sena Pune city chief, Sanjay More, who led the vandalism, said, “The unseasonal rain has led to the destruction of crops and farmers had filed insurance claims which were not cleared by the company, even after repeated requests. The insurance companies’ attitude towards farmers is inhuman and agitations like this will continue till they fall in line.”
Vikas Trivedi, Maharashtra head, Iffco Tokio, said, “As of now, we do not know what was their grievance is, nor did they discuss their issues. We wish to state that Iffco Tokio has not participated in crop insurance PMFBY scheme in Maharashtra for the current year, kharif 2019. We have paid all eligible claims pertaining to the last season, kharif 2018. The company paid Rs 549.08 crore to 1,01,9,199 farmers for 2018 -2019, and this year we are not participating in the crop insurance scheme for the current fiscal,” he said.
Iffco Tokio’s vice-president (claims), Saju Anthony, said, “The idea was to target all the insurance companies and spread fear and terrorise employees. They did not discuss, but resorted to ransacking and vandalism. We are assessing the total damage.”
Reacting to the incident, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai said, insurance companies need to expedite process of responding to crop insurance claims furnished by farmers.
“While I appeal everyone not to take the law into their hand, the insurance companies should not delay the payments to farmers as they have suffered a huge loss after recent rains badly damaged the crops,” said Pawar..
