**Executive Summary**
This document contains the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1599 regarding the coverage of climate-vulnerable regions under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), addressed on December 9th, 2025. It details farmer enrollment, claim settlement issues, and measures taken to improve the scheme's implementation. It also confirms the availability of premium subsidy support for tribal farmers with small holdings.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **PMFBY Enhancements and Coverage**
* No new component was launched under PMFBY in 2025 specifically to enhance insurance coverage in climate-vulnerable regions of Maharashtra.
* 220.40 lakh farmer applications were enrolled in Maharashtra under PMFBY during 2024-25, including 1.16 lakh from Nandurbar district.
* **Claim Settlement and Issue Resolution**
* Most claims are settled within 21 days of receiving the required yield data from the State Government.
* Complaints about claim payments mainly arise from delays in state subsidy, incorrect/delayed insurance proposals from banks, and yield data discrepancies.
* Pending claims related to these issues are settled upon resolution according to scheme provisions.
* **Measures for Transparency and Timely Settlement**
* The National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) serves as a single data source for subsidy payment, coordination, and information dissemination.
* A 'Digiclaim Module' has been operationalized since Kharif 2022 to monitor claim disbursal and integrate NCIP with the Public Finance Management System (PFMS).
* Delinking of Central and State Government premium subsidy shares to ensure proportionate claims.
* Penalty of 12% is auto-calculated and levied through NCIP for delayed payments by the Insurance company, or State Government.
* Tranche-based claim payments have been initiated from 2025-26.
* Technology is leveraged to improve implementation, including yield data capture via the CCE-Agri App, uploading on NCIP, allowing insurance companies to witness the conduct of CCEs, and integration of state land records.
* **Awareness Initiatives**
* Government actively supports awareness activities via States, Insurance Companies, financial institutions, and Common Service Centers (CSCs).
* Structured awareness campaigns like 'Crop Insurance Week/Fasal Bima Saptah' and 'Fasal Bima Pathshalas' are organized.
* Nationwide distribution of crop insurance policy receipts through special camps at the village level.
* **Technology Implementation**
* YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology) is implemented for gradual migration to Remote-Sensing based yield estimation from Kharif 2023. 30% weightage to yield estimation will be assigned to YES-TECH.
* WINDS (Weather Information Network and Data System) is being implemented to set up a network of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Automatic Rain-Gauges (ARG).
* **Subsidy Support**
* Premium subsidy support for all willing farmers including tribal farmers with small holdings below 2 hectares is already available under provisions of the Scheme.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers**
* **Impact:** Farmers benefit from insurance coverage under PMFBY, ensuring financial protection against crop losses due to climate vulnerability. They are impacted by the efficiency of claim settlements and transparency of the process.
* **Action Required:** Farmers are required to enroll under the scheme through direct online enrollment, provide accurate details for monitoring and claim transfer, and utilize available awareness initiatives to understand scheme implementation.
**State Governments**
* **Impact:** State Governments are responsible for providing their share of premium subsidy and ensuring timely yield data. Delays in these actions can impact claim settlements and lead to penalties.
* **Action Required:** Provide timely State Government share of subsidy. State Governments must resolve any discrepancy in yield data or consequent disputes between them and insurance companies.
**Insurance Companies**
* **Impact:** Insurance Companies are responsible for timely claim settlements based on the provisions of PMFBY. Delays can result in penalties and disputes.
* **Action Required:** Ensure timely claim settlement within the stipulated timelines (21 days). Address any discrepancies in yield data and work to resolve disputes with the State Government.
**Government of India**
* **Impact:** The Government is responsible for the overall implementation and monitoring of the PMFBY scheme, as well as ensuring transparency and timely settlement of claims.
* **Action Required:** Continue to implement measures for transparency, timely settlement of claims, and improve the scheme overall.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): A government insurance scheme to enhance insurance coverage in climate-vulnerable regions and support farmers with crop insurance.
National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP): A single source of data for subsidy payment, coordination, transparency, dissemination of information related to crop insurance.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The ministry responsible for implementing agricultural policies and programs, including the PMFBY scheme.
YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology): Technology for Remote-Sensing based yield estimation to assess yields accurately.
Maharashtra: State where climate-vulnerable regions receive insurance coverage under PMFBY.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1599
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9TH DECEMBER, 2025
COVERAGE OF CLIMATE VULNERABLE REGIONS UNDER PMFBY
1599. Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has launched any new component under the Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in 2025 to enhance insurance coverage in climate-vulnerable
regions of Maharashtra, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the number of farmers enrolled under PMFBY during 2024-25 from Maharashtra
particularly from Nandurbar district;
(c) whether the Government has received complaints regarding delayed claim settlement
or inaccurate loss assessment in tribal regions;
(d) if so, the corrective measures taken to strengthen digital crop-loss assessment and
satellite-based monitoring;
(e) whether the Government plans to extend premium-subsidy support for tribal farmers
with small holdings below 2 hectares; and
(f) the details of the timeline by which PMFBY claim-disbursement reforms will be fully
operational in Maharashtra's drought-prone and hilly districts?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a) : No Sir.
(b) : During 2024-25, total 220.40 lakh farmer applications including 1.16 lakh farmer
applications in Nandurbar district have been enrolled in Maharashtra State under Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
(c) to (f) : As per provisions contained in the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), majority of the claims are settled within the stipulated
timelines i.e within 21 days of the receipt of requisite yield data from the concerned State
Government, by the insurance companies. However, during the implementation of
PMFBY, some complaints were received in the past about payment of claims which are
primarily on account of (a) delay in providing State Government share of subsidy (b) non-
payment/delayed payment or under payment of claims on account of incorrect/delayed
submission of insurance proposals by banks (c) discrepancy in yield data & consequent
disputes between State Government and insurance companies etc. The pending claims
on account of these issue are settled after their resolution as per provisions of the scheme.
Government has taken various steps to strengthen implementation of this scheme
all over India to bring transparency and ensure timely settlement of claims: Government has undertaken development of National Crop Insurance Portal
(NCIP) as a single source of data ensuring subsidy payment, co-ordination,
transparency, dissemination of information and delivery of services including
direct online enrollment of farmers, uploading/obtaining individual insured
famer’s details for better monitoring and to ensure transfer of claim amount
electronically to the individual farmer’s Bank Account.
In order to rigorously monitor claim disbursal process, a dedicated module
namely ‘Digiclaim Module’ has been operationalized for payment of claims from
Kharif 2022 onwards. It involves integration of NCIP with Public Finance
Management System (PFMS) and accounting system of Insurance Companies
to provide timely & transparent processing of all claims.
Delinking of Central Government share of premium subsidy from that of State
Governments has been implemented so that farmers can get proportionate
claims relating to the Central Government share.
As per the Operational Guidelines of PMFBY, in case payment is not made timely
by Insurance Company, a penalty of 12% is auto-calculated and levied through
National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) w.e.f. Kharif 2024.
Similarly, if State Government delayed its premium subsidy from stipulated time
period, a penalty of 12% is to be paid by them also.
Tranche based claims payment has been initiated from 2025-26.
Also, towards leveraging technology in implementation of the scheme, various
steps like capturing of yield data/Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) data through
CCE-Agri App & uploading it on the NCIP, allowing insurance companies to
witness the conduct of CCEs, integration of State land records with NCIP etc.
have already been taken to improve timely settlement of the claims to farmers.
The Government has actively supported the awareness activities being carried
out by the States, implementing Insurance Companies, financial institutions, and
Common Service Centres (CSCs) network to disseminate key features of
PMFBY amongst farmers and members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
Structured awareness campaign ‘Crop Insurance Week/Fasal Bima Saptah’ has
been initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare since Kharif
2021 season onwards. Along with this, ‘Fasal Bima Pathshalas’ are also being
organized at village/GP level for knowledge building of farmers on various
aspects of scheme implementation.
Government had also organized a nationwide Doorstep Crop Insurance
Policy/receipt Distribution mega drive – ‘Meri Policy Mere Haath’. Hard copies of
crop insurance policy receipts are distributed to farmers enrolled under PMFBY
through special camps at gram Panchayat/village level.Following technologies for Objective Crop Damage & Loss Assessment and
transparency have also been implemented w.e.f. 2023-24 under the scheme:
i. YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology) for gradual
migration to Remote-Sensing based yield estimation to help assess yields as well
as fair and accurate Crop Yield Estimation. This initiative has been launched for
paddy & wheat crops from Kharif 2023 wherein 30% weightage to yield estimation
will mandatorily be assigned to YES-TECH derived yield. Soybean crop has been
added from Kharif 2024 season.
ii. WINDS (Weather Information Network and Data System) for setting up of
Network of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) & Automatic Rain-Gauges (ARG) to
the tune of 5 times of existing network for collecting hyper-local weather data at GP
& Block level. This will be fed into a National database with interoperability &
sharing of data in coordination with India Meteorological Department (IMD). WINDS
provides data not only for YES-TECH but also for effective drought & disaster
management, accurate weather prediction and offering better parametric insurance
products.
Premium-subsidy support for all willing farmers including tribal farmers with small
holdings below 2 hectares is already available under provisions of the Scheme.
*******