Sir,
It is heartning that the Union Government has brought in a new crop insurance scheme named ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ which is sure to benefit a large number of farmers across the country. The fact that the government has fixed the premium as low as 1.5% of the sum insured for Rabi crops, 2% for Kharif crops and 5% for horticulture crops and that the balance premium shall be paid by the Government to the insurance companies and that this would be shared by the Central and State Governments shows that the new scheme can be availed of by all the farmers including small and marginal farmers of our country.Even the post-harvest losses arising out from cyclones and unseasonal rains have also been covered nationally.There is no doubt that India is primarily an agrararian country and a large number of farmers depend on agriculture for sustaining them and their families.But in majority of the cases, the farmers have to depend on natural rains for the harvest of their crops.So,if there is good monsoon,the farmers have good and even bumper crops but in case of failure of monsoons or prolonged spell of draught,the farmers have to face the worst of times as they find it difficult to provide food for the members of their families and fodder for the livestock.
Driven by desperation, some farmers resort to the extreme step of ending their lives forcing the members of their families to undergo deep psychological and financial problems. It is in this backdrop that the present insurance scheme will prove to be a boon for the farmers and provide them relief and succour in case of natural calamities such as heavy/unseasonal rains, floods, draught, hailstones etc. What is required now is to create awareness in the farmers about the benefits of this scheme and motivate them to insure their crops against natural calamities at a minimum premium. Moreover the Government also ought to ensure that the claims of the farmers on account of loss/ failure of crops are settled within the minimum period of time after the assessment of losses by the concerned authorities.
Yours etc….
Ashok Sharma,
Udhampur
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