Parliamentary Affairs, Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister Saryu Roy urged farmers to use Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme (PMCIS) as their right.
In a programme organised by Jharkhand Committee of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Government of Jharkhand, Roy said on Wednesday that crop insurance was not alms to farmers from the Government but it was their right, and they must come forward to avail it.
Describing PMCIS as one of the best plans for farmers by PM Narendra Modi, Roy said that it was not the first time that something like crop insurance policy was launched. “Serious thoughts about crop insurance have been on papers since early 70s of last century. There was a crop insurance plan launched around mid 80s and another around first years of this century as well. But this is the first time that a comprehensive and collective thought has been given to this plan. This is why farmers have been given unparalleled profits keeping their premium at lowest ever and maximising their compensation,” Roy said.
Earlier in the day, Jharkhand Committee of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Pawan Bajaj said while beginning the programme that the organisation was all set to take the initiative of spreading awareness about PMCIS in districts and villages provided that proper support from the government was assured. He added that in a state where farmers have still not been provided sufficient water for irrigation and they don’t get even Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their crops at times, an almost error-free plan like this one would help a lot to farmers of the state.
“The (central) government has come up with an excellent programme and farmers must take benefit from it. You will find all hurdles of earlier similar programmes removed this time. Jharkhand is a state of farmers where agriculture largely remains rain-fed, hence always at risk,” Bajaj said.
The programme was organised to spread awareness about PMCIS among farmers. Jharkhand has set a target to have 50 per cent farmers under PMCIS in three years.
Opposing heavily to those advocating ‘industry’ status to agriculture, Roy said that it was not at all in favour of agriculture. “If giving industry status to agriculture was any answer, no industry in the country would have ever suffered at first place. We have to work to make farming easy and farmers prosperous. Industrialization of agriculture sector would only destroy it,” he said. He also persuaded farmers to adopt fortified grains and mixed crops to increase their source of income.
According to the Minister, most of the states have begun to cooperate with the centre in the execution of its agrarian policies including those of insurances but few states have yet to come forward on this front. He, however, added that persuasive efforts of the centre in this direction are on and the recalcitrant states would fall in line so that the growth of the agriculture sector also accelerates.
Director, Agriculture, Jata Shanker Choudhary said on the occasion that Jharkhand has 38 lakh acres of agri-field, in which 26 lakh acres were being used for agriculture.
“A State where agriculture remains largely rain-fed, an uncertain monsoon makes agriculture more vulnerable towards crop loss. Government has tried its best to remove hurdles which prevented farmers to take crop insurance in earlier plans. All agri-insurance plans will be phased out and only this one PMCIS is going to be there. Farmers must take this as an opportunity than burden,” he added.
Spread into two sessions, the programme was also attended by Insure Committee (PHD) Chairman and IFFCO TOKYO General Insurance MD & CEO Yogesh lohiya, Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) Vice Chancellor George John, Insurance Committee (PHD) Co-Chairman SK Sethi and others.