Question : Common Service Centres for Crop Insurance Policy

(a) whether the Government is contemplating to use Common Service Centres and Post Offices for universal coverage of all the farmers under the crop insurance policy;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the percentage of farmers under debt and not under debt availing crop insurance policy in the country during the last three years and the details thereof, State-wise; and

(d) the steps being taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to cover the remaining farmers under the crop insurance policy?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã ??? ????? ?????? ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ À㕾㠽ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) & (b): To facilitate the coverage of non-loanee farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) services of Common Service Centres (CSCs) and on line enrolment of non-loanee farmers on National Crop Insurance Portal has already been initiated from Kharif 2017 season. It is proposed that besides CSCs, other Government/semi-Government institutions/ organizations including Post Offices may also be utilized for insurance of non-loanee farmers in future subject to their integration with the National Crop Insurance Portal and approval of competent authorities.

(c): Crop Insurance Schemes are compulsory for farmers availing seasonal agricultural operations loans/ Kisan Credit Card loans from institutional sources, for notified crops in areas notified by the State Governments. Farmers under debt can avail crop insurance on voluntary basis as non-loanee farmers. State-wise details of loanee and non-loanee farmers, who availed crop insurance during the last three years are annexed.


Contd…2/-




-2-


(d): The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is demand driven and therefore, optional for States. It is the States which decide on what areas and how many crops are to be notified under the scheme. As such the coverage of farmers is dependent primarily on the initiatives of the States. That notwithstanding, with the launch of PMFBY in April, 2016 the target is to cover 50% of the Gross Cropped Area by 2018-19 and the focus is to ensure more coverage of non-loanee farmers through banks, Common Service Centers (CSCs), insurance intermediaries and directly online on crop insurance portal and to encourage States to notify more crops and areas.