Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal on Friday called upon the department officials to bring in three lakh farmers who have not taken loans into the ambit of Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme during the Kharif season 2017.
He was reviewing the Kharif 2017 preparations of his Department at the Mantralaya here.
The Minister called upon the officers to insure at least 100 farmers in the areas of their jurisdiction.
Agrawal said that many of the non-loanee farmers are left out of the ambit of insurance coverage.
The Central Government had launched several schemes to protect farmers from the fury of nature, he said.
Agriculture Department Secretary Anoop Srivastav, Director of Agriculture M.S. Kerketta, Managing Director Seeds and Agriculture Development Corporation Alok Awasthi and other top officials were also present.
Agrawal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set a target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022. The farmers should be encouraged and educated on high-quality farming methods. The department in-charge officers should conduct weekly meetings of Rural Agriculture Development officers and review the situation. Meetings of Kisan Mitras should be held every three months, he said.
Agrawal said that 100 per cent Soil Health cards had been distributed in the first phase.
The Minister also reviewed the progress of organic farming in Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Gariaband districts and called upon the officials to supply Organic farming-related materials to the farmers.
He also reviewed the arrangements regarding seeds, fertilizers and mini-kits.
Agrawal directed the officials to provide mini-kits to farmers as soon as possible.
The Minister also reviewed the order of National Green Tribunal regarding the burning of agriculture wastes in the fields itself as it had been made an offence.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government has already started implementing the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme for Kharif season 2017.
Department of Agriculture and Biotechnology has issued notification in this regard,
officials informed. As per notification, paddy (irrigated) and paddy (non-irrigated) have been notified.
Other crops which have been brought under its purview include maize, soyabean, peanuts, arhar(tuar), moong and urad.
Village panchayat has been made unit. All kinds of farmers whether they are loanee or non-loanee or landlord or even “bataidars” (those who take agriculture land on lease) can avail the said scheme.
Those farmers who are cultivating notified crops and their loan sanctioned from any financial institution from April 2017 to July 2017 for Kharif season will remain under the Insurance cover.
But if farmers have got their loans sanctioned from two different financial institutes for notified crops, they will get insurance cover of only one of the two financial institutes. Non-loanee farmers who have cultivated notified crops, can avail insurance cover by producing necessary documents.
It has also been clarified in the notification that benefit of insurance cover will be given the same way it was approved in 2016.
IFFCO Tokyo General Insurance Company has been appointed insurance agency for various districts mainly- Narayanpur, Kanker, Kabird-ham, Raigarh, Durg, Kon-dagaon, Bilaspur, Baloda Bazar, Gariaband, Balrampur, Koria, Bijapur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Raipur, Jashpur, Bastar, Janjgir-Champa, Dhantewada, Rajnandgaon and Surguja. Similarly, Reliance General Insurance Company has been appointed for other districts like Sukma, Balod, Mungeli, Bemetara, Surajpur and Korba.
Two per cent of the maximum insured amount or original amount whichever is less will be paid and for rest of the amount, Centre and state government will make contribution in ratio of 50:50.
Claims will be effective from period of sowing to harvest covering all the adversity like non-sowing of notified crops, natural calamity, non-germination of seeds, etc.