Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: Haryana makes PMFBY Mandatory for Farmers

With the government adamant on making Agriculture the main focus on the revival of the economy post-COVID, the Haryana government has announced that every farmer in the state must enroll for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

The announcement came from the State’s agriculture and farmers’ welfare department on 23 July 2020. The government argues that making the scheme mandatory will help the farmers in the long run.

However, the scheme has also been very controversial as many states have exited the scheme following the Union’s government move of decreasing its share in the subsidy thus increasing the burden on the government’s exchequer.

Recently, two more states Jharkhand and Telangana exited the scheme citing the same reason however, the Union Government says that it is all a malicious attempt by the non-BJP ruled states to give the scheme a bad name.

The move can be seen as a potential attempt by the state government to reduce the burden of the scheme. The notification further said that farmers owning Kisan Credit Card can notify the banks if they don’t want to claim the insurance on their crops. While those who have opted for the scheme should submit the required documents in the bank.

The recent move may be a jolt for the central government as Haryana is a BJP ruled the state and after this move, more states are expected to follow suit as the move just makes the scheme voluntary for the farmers rather than exiting the scheme altogether.