The Haryana Government has notified the areas, crops, indemnity level, sum insured, premium rates and seasonality discipline for the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the State during Kharif 2016 and Rabi 2016-17.
The crops to be covered under the scheme included cotton, paddy, bajra and maize during Kharif 2016 and wheat, barley, mustard and gram during Rabi 2016-17. The PMFBY will operate on the principle of area approach in the Insurance Unit which would be the revenue estate (village), said an official spokesman.
The scheme would be implemented in the entire State on cluster approach.
In Cluster-I, there would be districts of Sirsa, Bhiwani, Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Panchkula and Rewari. Cluster-II would have districts of Hisar, Sonepat, Gurgaon, Karnal, Ambala, Jind and Mahendragarh while cluster-III would have districts of Fatehabad, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Mewat, Palwal, Panipat and Yamunanagar.
While referring to the stages of the crop and risks leading to crop loss, the spokesman said that in case of prevented sowing or planting risk, there would be coverage of risk in case the insured area is prevented from sowing or planting due to deficit rainfall or adverse seasonal conditions. In case of standing Crop that is sowing to harvesting, comprehensive risk insurance will be provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, viz. drought, dry spells, flood, inundation, pests and diseases, landslides, natural fire and lightening storm, hailstorm, cyclone typhoon, tempest, hurricane and tornado.
All farmers including share-croppers and tenant farmers growing the notified crops in the Insurance Unit would be eligible for coverage under the scheme. All farmers availing Seasonal Agricultural Operations (SAO) loans from Financial Institutions that is loanee farmers for the notified crops would be covered compulsorily. The scheme will be optional for the non-loanee farmers.
He said that the indemnity level will be 90 per cent in case of all the notified crops. The loaning period for loanee farmers on compulsorily basis would be April to July in case of Kharif and from October to December in case of Rabi. The cut-off date for receipt of proposals of farmers or debit of premium from farmers’ accounts would be July 31 in case of Kharif and December 31 in case of Rabi.
While referring to assessment of loss and shortfall of yield, he said that in case of prevented sowing or planting risk, the cut-off dates for prevented sowing or planting payout will be August 31 in case of Kharif crops and January 15 in case of Rabi crops. The State Government will declare an Insurance Unit as having suffered prevented sowing or planting conditions with approximate areas in percentage of the unit.
A committee under the chairmanship of SDO(Civil) with Deputy Director Agriculture and Tehsildar concerned as members will submit a report about this to the Director of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare through the Deputy Commissioner by August 31 in case of Kharif crops and by January 15 in case of Rabi crops.
While referring to monitoring of the scheme, the spokesperson said that the insurance company will ensure that about five per cent of the beneficiaries are verified by their regional or local level offices and report is sent to the District level Monitoring Committee, which would cross verify at least 10 per cent of the beneficiaries and send report to Director, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
He said that one to two per cent of the beneficiaries will be verified by the head office of the Insurance Company and report sent to the Central Government.