Rajasthan CM Urges PM Modi to Relax Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Restrictions to Aid Distressed Farmers

In order to provide distressed farmers with prompt relief after crop loss, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that the restrictions of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, which was launched in October 2022, be loosened. 

According to a release, the chief minister has also urged that the law allowing farmers to get compensation for crop loss on only two hectares of land in times of natural calamity be changed and increased.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a crop insurance scheme sponsored by the government of India. The scheme was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in New Delhi, and it aims to integrate multiple stakeholders onto a single platform. The scheme provides insurance coverage and financial support to farmers in the event of crop damage due to natural calamities such as drought, flood, or pests.

In order to stop the inclusion of assistance given to farmers from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for crop damage with the amount received through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Gehlot has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to amend the new rules issued by the government of India in October 2022, it said.

"According to the chief minister's letter, the rule prevented farmers from receiving prompt assistance for crop damage. It takes a lot of time and effort to calculate the insured amount that farmers will receive from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in the event of calamities "said the statement.

According to the report, this causes frequent delays in the SDRF assistance's payout because farmers must promptly raise money for the following crop after agricultural damage. Gehlot continued, "Farmers used to receive prompt financial support under the SDRF before the new rules took effect in October 2022. In order to provide urgent assistance under the SDRF, the rules must be changed, the statement continued.