Crop Insurance: Make All Out Efforts to Enroll 25 Lakh Farmers, CS Tells Collectors

Bhubaneswar, July 28: Chief Secretary, Odisha Pradeep Jena along with Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Cooperation Department Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee took a review of all district Collectors regarding the progress in enrollment under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Crop Insurance Scheme on Thursday.

The review meeting was taken on virtual mode in OSWAN platform and all the 314 Blocks were also connected. The Collectors along with the line Department officials of Cooperation and Agriculture Department at the District level, the Lead District Managers, CEOs of District Central cooperative Banks, District Coordinators of Insurance Companies, District Coordinators of Common Service Centers were present in the district OSWAN Centres . Similarly, at Block level the BDOs along with Block level officials of Agriculture and Cooperation Department and Block coordinators of Insurance Companies attended the review meeting.

It was highlighted that this pro farmer decision of the State would increase the coverage under the crop insurance scheme multi-fold. Accordingly, the district administrations have to take proactive steps for facilitating enrollment of farmers within the cut-off date i.e. 31.07.2023. In view of the limited time, the Collectors were directed by the Chief Secretary to make all out effort by mobilizing all resources at their disposal for ensuring enrollment of at least 25 lakh farmers. 

The Principal Secretary, Dr. Padhee emphasized upon covering all the farmers cultivating high value crops like- Cotton, Ginger and Turmeric. The Banks were asked to maximize enrollment of non-loanee farmers alongside loanee farmers. This would help in providing more enrollment points to the non- loanee farmers.

The Director, Agriculture Shri Prem Chandra Choudhary made a power point presentation regarding the provisions of the Scheme, Crops notified and new transformative decision of the State Government to bear the farmers’ share of premium up to 2 Hectares in addition to its own share of premium subsidy.