**Executive Summary**
The document addresses Unstarred Question No. 2752 in Lok Sabha, concerning the accessibility of insurance for farmers in remote areas, specifically under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The document provides information on farmer enrollment in the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, and details the steps taken by the Government to improve insurance accessibility and claim settlement, including the introduction of penalties for delayed payments. The information was provided in response to a question raised to be answered on December 16th, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Farmer Enrollment:**
* 30,950 farmer applications were enrolled in Dima Hasao and 72,011 in Karbi Anglong districts of Assam between 2020-21 and 2024-25 under PMFBY.
* **Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY):**
* PMFBY, initiated in Kharif 2016, is voluntary for States and farmers.
* State Governments (or Joint Committees) and insurance companies handle major processes: crop selection, insurance model selection, company selection, farmer enrollment, yield assessment, and uploading data to the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) for claim processing.
* Roles of stakeholders are defined in the scheme's Operational Guidelines.
* **Measures to Strengthen Implementation:**
* The Government has implemented steps to improve scheme implementation, transparency, coverage, and claim settlement across India, including Assam.
* Development of the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) as a central data source for subsidy payment, coordination, transparency, and direct online services.
* 'Digiclaim Module' operationalized for monitoring claim disbursal starting Kharif 2022, integrated with Public Finance Management System (PFMS) for timely processing.
* Delinking of Central Government share of premium subsidy ensures farmers receive proportionate claims.
* Penalty of 12% is auto-calculated and levied if Insurance Company payment is untimely
* If State Government delays premium subsidy, they must pay a 12% penalty.
* Tranche-based claims payment started from 2025-26.
* Technology is leveraged through CCE-Agri App for yield data, integration of land records with NCIP, and technologies like YES-TECH and WINDS for objective crop damage assessment.
* Support for awareness activities through States, insurance companies, financial institutions, and Common Service Centres (CSCs) to disseminate PMFBY features.
* Structured awareness campaign 'Crop Insurance Week/Fasal Bima Saptah' since Kharif 2021 and 'Fasal Bima Pathshalas' at village/GP level for knowledge building.
* Nationwide Doorstep Crop Insurance Policy/receipt Distribution mega drive – ‘Meri Policy Mere Haath’ distributes hard copies of policy receipts.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Farmers**
* **Impact:** Improved access to insurance and more efficient claim settlement processes under PMFBY. Increased transparency in claim disbursement and penalty provisions for delayed payments. Benefit from awareness campaigns, knowledge programs, and direct distribution of insurance policies.
* **Action Required:** Enroll in PMFBY, participate in awareness programs, and understand the processes for claiming insurance benefits.
**Stakeholder: State Governments**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing PMFBY at the state level, including crop selection, insurance company selection, data upload, and collaboration with insurance companies. Required to pay a penalty for delays in premium subsidy payments.
* **Action Required:** Effectively implement PMFBY, ensure timely payment of premium subsidies, and participate in awareness campaigns.
**Stakeholder: Insurance Companies**
* **Impact:** Responsible for timely claim settlement, subject to penalties for delays. Required to integrate with the NCIP and PFMS for streamlined claim processing.
* **Action Required:** Ensure timely and transparent claim settlement, integrate with NCIP and PFMS, and participate in awareness campaigns.
**Stakeholder: Central Government**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing the implementation of PMFBY nationwide, developing and maintaining the NCIP, and ensuring transparency and efficiency in the scheme.
* **Action Required:** Monitor and evaluate the implementation of PMFBY, ensure the effective functioning of NCIP, and take steps to address any issues or challenges in the scheme.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): A crop insurance scheme providing insurance coverage to farmers in India. The policy discusses its implementation and improvements in coverage, claim settlement, and transparency.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The central ministry responsible for the implementation and oversight of the PMFBY scheme and initiatives related to agriculture and farmer welfare.
National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP): A centralized digital platform used for managing data, subsidy payments, and other aspects of the PMFBY scheme.
Assam: A state in India where efforts are being made to improve the implementation of the PMFBY scheme.
Operational Guidelines of PMFBY: The rules and regulations governing the implementation and execution of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2752
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16TH DECEMBER, 2025
INSURANCE ACCESSIBILITY BY FARMERS OF REMOTE AREAS
2752. SHRI AMARSING TISSO:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) the number of farmers in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts covered under the
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana;
(b) whether the Government has identified any issues in coverage or claim settlement in
these remote regions; and
(c) the steps taken to improve insurance accessibility for small and marginal farmers in
these districts?
ANSWER
THE 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) : Total 30,950 and 72,011 farmer applications have been enrolled during last 5 years
i.e. 2020-21 to 2024-25 in Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam respectively
under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
(b) : The PMFBY, introduced in the country from Kharif 2016 season is voluntary for the
States as well as farmers. All the major work like selection of crops & area/district, selection
of insurance model, selection of Insurance Companies through transparent bidding process,
enrollment of farmers, assessment of crop yield/crop loss and uploading of Threshold Yield
& Actual Yield on National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) for calculation and payment of
admissible claims directly to the farmer’s account are being performed by the concerned
State Government or Joint Committee of State Government officials and insurance company
concerned. The roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder are defined in the Operational
Guidelines of the scheme for the proper execution of the scheme.
(c) : Government has taken various steps to strengthen implementation of this scheme all
over India including Assam State to bring transparency and ensure smooth coverage
farmers and timely settlement of claims in States/UTs : 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,
introduction of technologies like YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on
Technology) and WINDS (Weather Information Network and Data System) for
objective crop damage and loss assessment 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 concerned including Assam, 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.
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