The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is an ambitious initiative by the Central Government of India, introduced in 2016 to provide a safety net to farmers against the vagaries of nature. The scheme aims to offer comprehensive crop insurance and stabilize the income of farmers, ensuring their continuance in farming activities. It is a step forward in the government’s efforts to support the agricultural sector, which is prone to unpredictable weather and other risks that can lead to crop failure.
Overview of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
The PMFBY was designed to replace two pre-existing schemes: the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS). It seeks to rectify the limitations of these earlier programs by providing a more effective and farmer-friendly approach to crop insurance. One of the key features of the PMFBY is the reduction of the premium burden on farmers. Under this scheme, farmers pay a uniform premium of 2% for all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all Rabi crops. In the case of annual commercial and horticultural crops, the premium is capped at 5%. The balance premium is subsidized and shared equally by the Central and State Governments.
Insurance Coverage and Claim Settlement
The coverage under the PMFBY extends to all food & oilseed crops and annual commercial/horticultural crops for which past yield data is available. The scheme compensates for losses suffered by farmers due to non-preventable risks, such as natural calamities, pests, and diseases. It ensures that the claim settlement process is faster and more transparent. The use of technology, such as remote sensing, smartphones, and drones, is encouraged to speed up the assessment of crop loss and ensure timely payouts to the affected farmers.
Grievance Redressal Mechanism
Despite the comprehensive nature of the scheme, there are instances where farmers may face issues or have complaints regarding the implementation of the PMFBY. To address these concerns, grievance redressal committees have been established. However, it has been noted that the Central Government does not maintain data on the complaints resolved by these committees. This lack of record-keeping has been a point of concern for the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture.
Parliamentary Committee’s Recommendations
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture has highlighted the need for the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department to keep detailed records on the types of grievances addressed and resolved by the grievance redressal committees. Such documentation is crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability in the functioning of the PMFBY. By maintaining records, the government can monitor the effectiveness of the grievance mechanism and work towards improving the scheme’s implementation based on the feedback received from the farmers.
Importance of Record-Keeping
Record-keeping is essential for any government scheme, especially one as significant as the PMFBY, which directly impacts the livelihood of millions of farmers. Detailed records would help in identifying recurring issues, understanding the challenges faced by farmers at the grassroots level, and devising strategies to mitigate these problems. Moreover, data on resolved complaints can serve as a valuable resource for refining the scheme and making it more farmer-centric.
In summary, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a critical initiative aimed at securing the income of farmers by providing them with insurance cover for crop failures. While the scheme has made strides in reducing the premium load and expediting claim settlements, there is a need for better management of the grievance redressal mechanism. The Parliamentary Standing Committee’s call for maintaining records of resolved complaints is a step in the direction of enhancing the scheme’s transparency and effectiveness.