Delay in settlement claims deters Karnal, Kaithal farmers from opting for PM Fasal Bima Yojana

Despite the government's efforts to promote the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for securing farmers against crop losses due to natural calamities, the response to the scheme in Karnal and Kaithal districts remains lackluster during this rabi season.

The data of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department reveals that only a small number of farmers have opted for the scheme.

Lukewarm response to scheme

In Karnal district, of around 70,000 farmers, only 2,218 have registered for crop insurance under PMFBY, covering 11,075 acres of land. Similarly, Kaithal district has seen marginally better participation, with 16,625 farmers registering for the scheme to insure 6,650 hectares.

In Karnal district, of around 70,000 farmers, only 2,218 have registered for crop insurance under PMFBY, covering 11,075 acres of land. Similarly, Kaithal district has seen marginally better participation, with 16,625 farmers registering for the scheme to insure 6,650 hectares.

Farmers have cited multiple reasons for their hesitation, including delay in settlement of compensation, less losses in Rabi season as well as dissatisfaction in the farming community over claim settlements under the scheme.

Jitender Kumar, a farmer, said the idea of crop insurance was good, but in reality, it was not effective due to delay in settlement of claims.

“Several farmers had to wait for multiple seasons to get their claims in the past. Many farmers had faced rejections of claims when the crops were damaged,” he said.

Sumit, another farmer, expressed similar concerns and said, “The claims should be settled immediately after the survey as farmers have limited resources and they have to cultivate the next crop after facing losses.”

Experts claimed that earlier it was compulsory for loanee farmers, but now it was optional. After this step, farmers were not coming forward to opt for the insurance scheme.

One of the officials of the department on the condition of anonymity said clerical mistakes at banks’ level also led to harassment of farmers. “In the past, we witnessed several cases of farmers, in which mistakes like entry of wrong name of a village and crop was done, leading to pendency in courts,” he said.

On the other hand, the Agriculture Department has been actively promoting PMFBY through awareness drives. Officials claim that the scheme provides a safety net for farmers against unpredictable weather and other risks. “The last date of registration for crop insurance was January 15. The banks are now uploading the data. We conducted several camps in the rural areas and encouraged farmers for it. We are hopeful, in the next season, the number of farmers will go higher,” said Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director Agriculture, Karnal.