PM Fasal Yojana: Farmers not receiving premium receipts, says Kisan body

JAIPUR: Kisan Mahapanchayat, a group of farmers in Rajasthan, has raised the issue of farmers not receiving receipts on payment of their premium amounts under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) every year.

Under the scheme, farmers pay a premium of 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for commercial and horticultural crops, based on the sum insured. In Rajasthan, over 1 crore farmers are insured under the scheme, as per govt data.

However, the most recent reply in Lok Sabha in March 2022 by the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare said that the govt is also organising a nationwide doorstep crop insurance policy/receipt distribution mega drive – ‘Meri Policy Mere Haath’ from February 26, 2022. “Hard copies of crop insurance policy receipts are being distributed to farmers enrolled under PMFBY through special camps at gram panchayat/village level,” it said.

National president of Kisan Mahapanchayat, Rampal Jat, said the farmer’s group has conducted surveys in Ajmer and Dudu districts to expose the lies of the Centre.

“The PMFBY was initiated in July 2016 and has been in operation for six years. According to the guidelines of this scheme, there is a provision for deducting the premium amount from farmers' bank accounts without their consent. Information on how much premium was collected from whom, for which crop, and for which year has not been adequately provided so far, leading to farmers being exploited due to a lack of information,” said Jat.

“To make this scheme accountable and transparent, there has been a continuous demand for issuing premium receipts and providing copies of the insurance policy. The situation presented in written responses by the govt in Parliament from 2018 to 2022 has not yet materialised on the ground. There is a vast difference between the statements given in Parliament and the actual situation. As a result, farmers whose premiums are deducted do not receive claims even after crop damage, and their efforts to claim their rights often go in vain,” he said.