Special drive in Uttar Pradesh to boost crop insurance for farmers

LUCKNOW: In a bid to provide insurance coverage to farmers against the potential crop damages, the state government has decided to carry out a special drive for the purpose during the first week of July.
The drive, proposed to be carried out by the agriculture department between July 1 and July 7, will cover those development blocks which have lower farm insurance coverage under the Centre's ambitious PM Crop Insurance Scheme (PMCIS).
According to UP government sources, till date, a compensation of Rs 3,074.6 crore has been deposited in the accounts of 27.5 lakh farmers in UP under PMCIS.
'Compensation of 3,000 crore transferred to 27.5 lakh farmers'
According to a directive issued by additional chief secretary, agriculture, Devesh Chaturvedi, the drive would cover selected development blocks in the eight aspirational districts - Bahraich (Risia block), Shrawasti (Sirsia), Balrampur (Utraula), Siddharthnagar (Latan), Fatehpur (Bijaipur), Chitrakoot (Ramnagar) and Chandauli (Niyamtabad).
According to sources, till date, a compensation of Rs 3,074.6 crore has been deposited in the accounts of 27.5 lakh UP farmers under PMCIS. This includes payment of crop compensation of Rs 654.8 crore to over 7 lakh farmers in Kharif season 2021. In Rabi 2021-22, an area of 14.2 lakh hectares has been insured by 19.9 lakh farmers. The process of compensation for which is going on. According to the data of the Union agriculture ministry, the value of damages incurred to crops in UP more than doubled between 2018-19 and 2019-20. The data, prepared on the basis of state-wise business statistics as on August 31 last year, shows that the reported crop loss claims shot up from around Rs 470 crore in 2018-19 to over Rs 1,116 crore in 2019-20. As against the claimed loss, the paid claims amounted to Rs 1,092 crore in 2019-20 as against around Rs 40 crore in 2018-19. The number of farmers who benefited from the PMCIS rose from 6 lakh in 2018-19 to over 9 lakh in 2019-20, shows the data.
Sources said farmers' participation in the crop insurance scheme needs special focus in pockets dominated by Dalits and Tribals. For this, UP government plans to rope in not only district administration but also banks and Jan Suvidha Kendras. The department also plans to disseminate information and success stories of farmers on social media. The drive will see agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi flagging off special campaign vehicles from Lucknow on July 1.