**Executive Summary**
This document addresses Unstarred Question No. 486 regarding crop loss due to excessive rainfall in Maharashtra, to be answered on February 3, 2026. It outlines the government's response, detailing relief measures, financial assistance through SDRF and NDRF, and steps taken to ensure timely compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Key dates include the IMCT visit in October and November 2025, as well as the Kharif 2025 season, and Kharif 2024 implementation of timely claim processing.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government's Role and Financial Assistance:**
* State Governments are primarily responsible for providing relief measures for notified calamities using the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
* Additional financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is considered for severe disasters, based on an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) assessment.
* Relief provided under SDRF and NDRF is in the form of relief, not compensation.
* Maharashtra is allocated Rs. 4176.80 crore under SDRF for the financial year 2025-2026, with the Central share already released.
* An IMCT visited affected areas in Maharashtra in October/November 2025 following floods.
* Rs. 9700.87 crore was sanctioned to farmers affected by hydro-meteorological disasters during June-September 2025.
* Assistance of Rs. 10,000 per hectare (up to 3 hectares) is available for seeds and inputs for the rabi season, with Rs. 9611.17 crore made available.
* **Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY):**
* 93.81 lakh applications were enrolled in Maharashtra for the Kharif 2025 season, insuring 59.59 lakh hectares.
* National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) was developed for subsidy payment, coordination, transparency, information dissemination, and service delivery, including online enrollment and electronic claim transfer.
* "Digiclaim Module" has been operationalized for payment of claims from Kharif 2022, integrating NCIP with the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) for timely and transparent processing of claims w.e.f. Kharif 2024.
* A 12% penalty is automatically calculated and levied through NCIP if payment is not made timely.
* Delinking of Central Government share of premium subsidy from State Governments.
* Opening of ESCROW Account by the State Government concerned mandatory w.e.f. Kharif 2025 season.
* **Technology and Claim Settlement:**
* Leveraging technology: data/Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) data through CCE-Agri App, uploading it on the NCIP, integration of State land records.
* A 12% penalty on delay in payment of claims by insurance company is auto calculated on National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP).
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: State Government of Maharashtra**
* **Impact:** Responsible for providing initial relief and utilizing SDRF funds effectively.
* **Action Required:** Implement relief measures, utilize allocated SDRF funds, coordinate with the central government for NDRF assistance, open ESCROW account.
**Stakeholder: Farmers in Maharashtra**
* **Impact:** Affected by crop losses due to excessive rainfall and storms.
* **Action Required:** Apply for relief and insurance claims through PMFBY, provide necessary documentation.
**Stakeholder: Insurance Companies**
* **Impact:** Responsible for assessing and settling insurance claims under PMFBY.
* **Action Required:** Expedite assessment and payment processes, integrate with NCIP and PFMS, adhere to timely payment guidelines (including penalties for delays).
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Crop insurance scheme mentioned for settling insurance claims for disaster in Maharashtra.
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF): Fund from which additional financial assistance is considered above SDRF norms for severe disasters.
State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): Fund used by State Governments for relief measures in response to natural calamities.
National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM): Policy which states that the State Government is responsible for providing relief measures.
Maharashtra: State mentioned as receiving a detailed report of crop losses due to excessive rainfall.
O.I.H.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 486
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 03RD FEBRUARY, 2026
CROP LOSS DUE TO EXCESSIVE RAINFALL
486. SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE:
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 received a detailed report from the State Government of
Maharashtra regarding heavy crop losses to soybean, maize, sorghum, onion and other
crops due to excessive rainfall and storms;
(b) if so, the details and estimated economic value of the damage, crop-wise:
(c) whether the Government proposes a special economic package for immediate relief to
affected farmers beyond or in addition to the NDRF norms;
(d) the number of insurance claims to be settled under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana (PMFBY) for this disaster in Maharashtra; and
(e) the steps being taken by the Government to expedite the assessment and payment
process by insurance companies to ensure timely compensation?
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) to (e): As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), the State
Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief measures on ground level
in the wake of notified calamities. The State Governments undertake relief measures in the
wake of natural calamities from funds available in the form of the State Disaster Response
Fund (SDRF) in accordance with the Government of India approved items and norms.
Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from the National
Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of ‘severe
nature’, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central
Team (IMCT). The financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by way of relief
and not for compensation.
The State Government of Maharashtra is allocated an amount of Rs.4176.80 crore
(Rs.3132.80 crore Central share + Rs.1044.00 crore State share) for the financial year 2025-
2026 under SDRF, of which the first and second Installments of Rs.1566.40 crore each, as
Central share is released to the State.In the wake of floods during 2025, an IMCT was constituted on 16.10.2025 to visit
the affected areas of the State for on-the -spot assessment of damages. The IMCT visited
the affected areas from 03.11.2025 to 05.11.2025. Based on the report received from the
IMCT, additional financial assistance from NDRF is considered, as per the established
procedure.
As per information received from the State Government of Maharashtra, the survey
was conducted in the affected area and 75.42 lakh hectares of cropped area was affected
due to hydro-meteorological disasters during the year 2025. The State provided relief to the
farmers. Total amount of Rs. 9700.87 Crore has been sanctioned to the affected farmers
during June to September 2025. Additionally, assistance of Rs. 10,000 per hectare, up to a
maximum of 3 hectares, is for seeds and other related inputs for the rabi season. For this
purpose, a total amount of Rs.9611.17 crore has been made available.
Under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), in Kharif 2025 season, total
93.81 lakh applications were enrolled in the Maharashtra State insuring 59.59 lakh hectare
area. Government has taken various steps to strengthen implementation of this scheme,
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 National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) with Public
Finance Management System (PFMS) and accounting system of Insurance Companies to
provide timely & transparent processing of all claims w.e.f. Kharif 2024, in case payment
is not made timely by Insurance Company, penalty of 12% is auto-calculated and levied
through NCIP.
• 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.
• Opening of ESCROW Account by the State Government concerned for
deposit of their premium share in advance as per provisions of the scheme has been made
mandatory w.e.f. Kharif 2025 season.
• 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.
• Provision of 12% penalty on delay in payment of claims by insurance company
is auto calculated on National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP).
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