Lok Sabha Question No. 4504 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-08
Subject: Agriculture Insurance Claims in Haryana
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DUSHYANT CHAUTALA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4504

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH   JANUARY, 2019

## AGRICULTURE  INSURANCE  CLAIMS  IN HARYANA

4504.     SHRI DUSHYANT CHAUTALA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of settlement of agriculture insurance claims is very less in the State of Haryana;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the actual number  of  farmers  who  had availed compensation  through  agriculture  insurance  for    the    last    three    years    in    the    State    of Haryana; and
- (c) the  action  taken  by  the Government to reduce huge pendency of insurance claims?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a)  to  (c)    :  No  Madam.   Details  of  farmers  enrolled,  farmers share  in gross  premium,  claims approved & paid and number of farmers benefitted during 2016-17 and Kharif 2017 in Haryana under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) are given in following table :

| Season       |   Farmers Enrolled (in lakhs) |   Farmers share in gross premium (Rs. in crores) |   Approved Claims |   Claims Paid |   Farmers Benefitted (in lakhs) |
|--------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------------|---------------|---------------------------------|
| Kharif 2016  |                          7.39 |                                           126.86 |            235.21 |        235.21 |                            1.53 |
| Rabi 2016-17 |                          5.97 |                                            69.67 |             60.76 |         60.76 |                            0.66 |
| Kharif 2017  |                          6.39 |                                           124.19 |            650.48 |        647.73 |                            2.08 |

Admissible claims are generally paid by the insurance companies within two months of completion  of  Crop  Cutting  Experiments/harvesting  period  subject  to  availability  of  yield  data and  total  State  share  of  premium  subsidy  from  concerned  State  Government  within  time. However,  payment  of  claims  in  some  State/areas  get  delayed  due  to  reasons  like  delayed transmission to yield data, dispute raised by Insurance Companies on yield data, reconciliation of  individual  farmer  data  on  portal  by  bank  branches,  late  release  of  their  share  in  premium subsidy by some States and NEFT related issues, etc.

Contd…2/-

The  detailed  activity-wise  seasonality  discipline,  including  timelines  for  settlement  of claims by insurance companies within two months of crop harvest, subject to timely release of subsidy  and  yield  data  to  the  insurance  companies,  has  been  prescribed  in  Operational Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to ensure timely payment of claims to insured farmers.

With a view to ensure better transparency, accountability and timely payment of claims to the  farmers,  Government  has  comprehensively  revised  the  Operational  Guidelines  of  the scheme which have become effective from 01.10.2018. The Revised Operational Guidelines, inter-alia,  envisage  activities-wise  seasonality  discipline  including  timeliness  for  release  of subsidy by Government to insurance companies and settlement of claims eligible farmers by concerned insurance companies. The following provisions, have also been made in the revised Operational Guidelines:

- (i)   Provision of 12% interest rate per annum to be paid by the Insurance Company to farmers for delay in settlement claims beyond 10 days of prescribed cut off date for payment of claims.

(ii)  State  Government  have  to  pay  12%  interest  rate  for  delay  in  release  of  State  share  of Subsidy beyond three months of prescribed cut off date/submission of requisition by Insurance Companies .

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