Posted On:
03 FEB 2026 6:10PM by PIB Raipur
Farmers in Chhattisgarh have received significant benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme). During the period from 2022–23 to 2024–25, crop insurance claims amounting to over ₹178.37 crore were settled in the districts of Kanker, Balod, Dhamtari and Kondagaon falling under the Kanker Lok Sabha constituency, benefitting more than 4.72 lakh farmer applications.
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in Parliament. The question was raised by Members of Parliament Shri Bhojraj Nag, Shri Vijay Kumar Dubey, Shri Arvind Dharmapuri, Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Shri Nalin Soren regarding the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, settlement of claims and transparency.
The Minister informed that claims worth ₹33.25 crore were paid in Balod district benefitting 90,668 farmers, ₹26.72 crore in Dhamtari benefitting 1,28,511 farmers, ₹102.57 crore in Kanker benefitting 2,15,190 farmers, and ₹15.83 crore in Kondagaon benefitting 37,937 farmers.
The Government clarified that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, launched in 2016–17, is voluntary for both States and farmers and is based on the “area approach”. The scheme provides comprehensive risk coverage at a low premium from pre-sowing to post-harvest stages against non-preventable natural calamities. Eligible claims are paid directly into farmers’ bank accounts through the National Crop Insurance Portal using the DigiClaim system.
It was further stated that special provisions exist for localised calamities such as hailstorms, floods, landslides, cloudbursts and natural fires, as well as post-harvest losses due to cyclones and unseasonal rainfall. In such cases, loss assessment is carried out within the prescribed timeline by a joint committee comprising representatives of the State Government and the concerned insurance company.
The Government acknowledged that in the past, complaints regarding delays in claim settlement were received, mainly due to delays in release of premium subsidy by State Governments, incorrect or delayed submission of proposals by banks, and discrepancies in yield data. Pending claims were settled after resolution of these issues as per scheme provisions.
To ensure timely and transparent settlement of claims, several reform measures have been undertaken. These include integration of the National Crop Insurance Portal with the Public Financial Management System, strict monitoring through the DigiClaim Module, use of mobile applications for Crop Cutting Experiment data collection, and levy of a 12 per cent penalty on insurance companies for delayed claim payments.
In addition, from 2023–24 onwards, advanced technologies such as the Yield Estimation System based on Technology (YES-TECH) and the Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) have been implemented to ensure objective assessment of crop losses and timely compensation to farmers.
The Government stated that review and improvement of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a continuous process. Based on stakeholder feedback and field experience, the operational guidelines of the scheme were comprehensively revised in 2018, 2020 and 2023 to enhance transparency, accountability and farmer-friendliness, and to ensure timely payment of claims to farmers.
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RDJ