Lok Sabha Question No. 3013 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Crop Insurance under PMFBY
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dean Kuriakose

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3013

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 ND  MARCH, 2022

## CROP INSURANCE UNDER PMFBY

3013. ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE:

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

(a) whether the Government is considering including climate-change induced crop loss and crop degeneration to be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has given any specific instructions to make the scheme more popular and transparent in the State of Kerala; and

(c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ िष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a): Government is committed to provide financial security to  farmers  against the crop  loss  due  to  adverse  climatic  conditions.      To  provide  claims  against  the  crop  yield losses  due to  natural  risks/calamities,  adverse  weather  conditions,  pests  &  diseases  etc. two major crop insurance schemes namely, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) are being implemented  by  the  Government.      PMFBY  provides  comprehensive  risk  coverage  from pre-sowing  to  post  harvest  losses  against  non-preventable  natural  risks.    The  RWBCIS provides indemnification for likely crop losses due to deviation in weather indices.

The  rationalization/revisions/improvements  in  the  crop  insurance  schemes  is  a continuous  process  and  decisions  on  suggestions/  representations/  recommendations  of the  stakeholders  /studies  are  taken  from  time  to  time  after  consultation  with  various stakeholders.

In  addition,  assistance  is  also  provided  to  farmers  through  other  schemes  namely, PM KISAN (for  regular  income),  PM  ASHA  (Price  support),  National  Disaster  Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief due to natural calamities etc.

(b) & (c) :    Government has taken several steps to create substantial awareness about the scheme amongst beneficiaries and to make the scheme transparent in all the PMFBY/RWBCIS  implementing  States  including  Kerala.  The  Government  has  made provision  to  ensure  availability  of  adequate  funds  for  awareness  of  PMFBY.  The  revised Operational Guidelines for PMFBY which came into effect from 1 st October 2018 have interalia provided that the insurance companies should compulsorily spend atleast 0.5% of the total gross premium collected by them for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities.

The Government has actively supported the awareness activities being carried out by the States, implementing Insurance Companies, financial institutions, and CSC network to disseminate  key  features  of  PMFBY  amongst  farmers  and  members  of  Panchayati  Raj Institutions (PRIs).  The Government has also started structured awareness campaigns like 'Crop Insurance Week/Fasal Bima Saptah' Kharif 2021 and Rabi 2021-22 seasons,  Fasal Bima Pathshalas at village/GP level for knowledge building of farmers on various aspects of scheme implementation and nationwide Doorstep Crop Insurance Policy/receipt Distribution mega drive - 'Meri Policy Mere Haath' from 26.02.2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

National  Crop  Insurance  Portal  (NCIP)  has  been  developed  for  ensuring  better administration,  co-ordination,  transparency,  dissemination  of  information  and  delivery  of services including crediting the claim amount electronically to the individual farmer's Bank Account.    To  bring  more  transparency  use  of  technology  including  Remote  Sensing Technology,  Smartphones,  Drones,  crop  insurance  apps  for  reporting  estimation  of  crop losses to ensure early settlement of claims has also been utilized in implementation of the scheme.

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