With the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) entering the seventh year of implementation in the upcoming Kharif season, the government has announced a new doorstep crop insurance distribution policy known as ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’.

Overview:

The ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ door-step campaign has been launched to ensure that all farmers are well informed about their land records, policies, and the PMFBY’s claim and grievance redressal process.

In the upcoming Kharif season which will be beginning in June, the doorstep campaign will be launched in all implementing states.

About Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

In the month of February 2016, PMFBY was launched with the aim of providing financial assistance to all the farmers who have suffered crop damage or loss from natural disasters. As of February 4, 2022, over 36 million farmer applications have been insured under this scheme with over Rs 1,07,059 crores in claims paid.

Since 85 per cent of the farmers registered under this scheme are small and marginal farmers, the scheme has been able to provide financial support to the most vulnerable farmers.

In the year 2020, PMFBY was modified to allow farmers to participate voluntarily. It has also been made easier for farmers to report crop damage within 72 hours after the occurrence of any event, either through the Crop Insurance App, the CSC Centre, or the nearest agriculture officer, with claim benefits sent automatically into eligible farmers’ bank accounts.

Key Features of PMFBY

Some of the scheme’s key features include the integration of land records with the PMFBY’s National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP), a Crop Insurance mobile app for quick enrolment of farmers, a subsidy release module, remittance of farmer premium through NCIP, and a claim release module through NCIP.