Awareness Programmes for PMFBY
(a) the details of the farmers’ fairs organised by the Government to increase awareness about the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the country, State-wise including Maharashtra;
(b) the details of the other measures adopted by the Government to increase awareness about the scheme among farmers;
(c) the names of the States where this crop insurance scheme has been launched;
(d) whether the public sector insurance companies possessing the major market share of the insurance sector have been kept out of the ambit of crop insurance scheme; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
To know the answer of above questions reg. Awareness Programmes for PMFBY please see below the full text of Loksabha Unstarred Question No. 328.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO: 328
ANSWERED ON: 16.07.2019
Awareness Programmes for PMFBY
Kapil Moreshwar Patil
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of the farmers’ fairs organised by the Government to increase awareness about the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the country, State-wise including Maharashtra;
(b) the details of the other measures adopted by the Government to increase awareness about the scheme among farmers;
(c) the names of the States where this crop insurance scheme has been launched;
(d) whether the public sector insurance companies possessing the major market share of the insurance sector have been kept out of the ambit of crop insurance scheme; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 328 DUE FOR REPLY ON 16TH JULY, 2019.
(a) & (b): To enhance the awareness about Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) among all the stakeholders Government regularly undertake comprehensive publicity and awareness programme to educate the farmers about the benefit of crop insurance schemes. After launch of PMFBY during 2016, 525 one day seminar/kisan fairs were organized at various Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) throughout the country.
Further, under the Central Sector Scheme of “Mass Media Support to Agriculture Extension Scheme (MMSAE)”, Government is doing publicity and creating awareness about schemes of the Department including PMFBY. Audio Visual spot on PMFBY is being telecast/broadcast through DD, DD Kisan and AIR under sponsored programme of Mass Media Scheme from time to time.
PMFBY is also one of the focused area for Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan, implemented in two phases during Kharif 2018 and Rabi 2018-19 in the selected aspirational districts. The campaign focused on disseminating information through group meetings of farmers, training of functionaries and levaraging the potential of Gram Sabhas in respective Gram Panchayats.
In addition, several communications have also been sent to the public representatives including Members of Parliament, representatives of Panchayti Raj Institutions etc. to encourage farmers to take benefit of the scheme. Thereafter, in addition to above Government has also taken several initiatives including active involvement of all stakeholders especially States and implementing insurance companies for conduct of publicity campaign/awareness programmes including organization of camps in the rural areas to build
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farmer awareness about crop insurance schemes. Insurance companies have been asked to utilize 0.5% of gross premium collected by them for publicity and awareness generation. Other activities for awareness generation involve the publicity of features and benefits of the scheme through advertisements in leading National/local News Papers, telecast through audio-visual media, distribution of pamphlets in local languages, participation in agriculture fairs / mela / goshti, dissemination of SMS through Kisan Portal/national crop insurance portal and conduct of workshops/ trainings of State officials, financial institutions and farmers. For non-loanee farmers since crop insurance is optional, the Common Service Centres (CSCs) and online enrolment have been activated to provide the services besides traditional modes like banks and insurance intermediaries. Due to the efforts made by the Government coverage of non-loanee, for whom the coverage is voluntary, has increased from 5% under erstwhile schemes to 34%, which shows the acceptability of the scheme on voluntary basis.
Similarly, all implementing States also undertaking publicity and awareness of the scheme by organizing camps, fairs/melas/goshtis, door to door campaign through field functionaries of extension, agriculture, revenue department, Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA). Maharashtra Government has also undertaken Samrudh Shetkari Abhiyan – a campaign for all farm related schemes including PMFBY at village level, between 25th May to 10th June i.e. at the beginning of Kharif 2019 season. Farmers’ training was organized in 17909 villages of the State during this abhiyan. The Statewise numbers of farmers’ fair organized by concerned State Governments and Insurance Companies during year 2018-19 are annexed.
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(c): The Scheme is voluntary for the States. 27 States/Union Territories opted and implemented the scheme in one or more seasons viz. Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgar Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
(d) & (e): No Sir. Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd. (AIC) and all the four Public Sector General Insurance companies namely, National Insurance Company Ltd., New India Assurance Company Ltd., Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. and United India Insurance Company Ltd. are empanelled for implementation of the crop insurance scheme and participate in the bids for selection of insurance company by States. The insurance company which quotes lowest premium rate is selected by the concerned State Government for implementation in that State.
Source: Loksabha