(a) the rules under which insurance cover is provided to farmers under the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) along with the names of crops and perennial crops covered under the said insurance scheme;
(b) the manner in which the above scheme is different from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana;
(c) the number of farmers who have been benefited under RWBCIS during the last three years, State/UT-wise; and
(d) the reasons for formulation of a separate RWBCIS?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
???? ??? ????? ?????? ½ãâ¨ããè (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 444 DUE FOR REPLY ON 27TH MARCH, 2018.
(a) to (d): Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) is a weather index based scheme launched in Kharif 2016 after revisiting the erstwhile Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS). The scheme provides insurance protection to farmers against adverse weather incidence, such as deficit and excess rainfall, high or low temperature, humidity etc. which factors are deemed to impact adversely the crop production. Thus it is a named peril insurance scheme and claims are calculated on the basis of difference in (below or above) observed trigger value. The State Government in consultation with experts and insurance companies decide trigger points/values for loss calculation and finalise area-wise Term-sheets for each crop. The assessment/reference unit area under the scheme is related to availability of Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs)/Automatic Rain-Gauge Stations (ARGs), which are mostly available at circle, block levels. Unlike RWBCIS, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a yield index linked /comprehensive risk insurance scheme covering pre-sowing to post harvest losses wherein insurance unit is village/village panchayat for major crops and claim calculation is based on yield/loss assessment through Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs). However, with respect to all other parameters namely, premium rates for farmers, selection of insurance company through transparent bidding process, sum insured equal to Scale of Finance etc. the two schemes are at par.
The RWBCIS envisages coverage of all food and oilseeds crops and annual/perennial commercial/horticultural crops. It is the prerogative of the State Government/ Union Territory to select the crops. However, RWBCIS has been
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specifically formulated to cover those annual/perennial commercial/ horticultural crops where methodology for calculation of yield data/past yield data based on CCEs as required under PMFBY is not available. Further, the availability of past weather data and requisite infrastructure viz. Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) and Automatic Rain Gauge Stations (ARGs) needs to be ensured/notified by the State Government.
State/UT-wise details of farmers covered and farmers benefitted under RWBCIS and erstwhile WBCIS during last three years are annexed.