Good news for farmers as the deadline for PM Fasal Bima Yojana has been extended. The Maharashtra government's demand to extend the cut-off date for enrollment of farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the Kharif season 2021 from July 15 to July 23 was met by the Central government on Thursday.
The Maharashtra government had sought that the PM's Crop Insurance Scheme be extended until July 23 from July 15.
"l am directed to refer to an aforementioned letter received from State Government of Maharashtra on the subject mentioned above wherein State Government has requested to extend the cut-off date for enrollment of farmers under PMFBY for Kharif 2021 season from July 15 to July 23 owing to challenges faced due to COVID-19 pandemic and enclosed the consent of aforesaid all six concerned implementing General Insurance Companies.
Sunil Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, responded to the Maharashtra government's letter by saying, "I am directed to refer to an aforementioned letter received from State Government of Maharashtra on the subject mentioned above wherein State Government has requested to extend the cut-off date for enrolment of farmers under PMFBY for Kharif 2021 season from July 15 to July 23 owing to challenges faced due to COVID19 pandemic and enclosed the consent of aforesaid all six concerned implementing General Insurance Companies."
"The matter has been examined by this Department, and the request of the Maharashtra state government for an extension of the cut-off date for farmer enrolment from July 15, 2021, to July 23, 2021, has been agreed to as a special case due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the interest of the state's farming community," Kumar said.
As per the government of Maharashtra, 46 lakh farmers have applied for the scheme so far, but many are yet to finish the necessary paperwork.
About PMFBY
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana on February 18, 2016, as a yield insurance program for farmers. It was introduced in accordance with the One Nation–One Scheme principle by combining the finest characteristics of the previous two schemes, the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS), and eliminating their inherent flaws. Its goal is to lower the cost of premiums for farmers and to ensure that crop assurance claims are paid in full as soon as possible.
