Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday clarified that sharecroppers are eligible to enrol for crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), putting to rest confusion triggered by reports suggesting that they could not register under the scheme.
The Cooperation Department said both loanee and non-loanee farmers, besides sharecroppers cultivating notified crops in notified areas, are eligible to insure their crops under PMFBY.
The clarification came after reports in a section of the print media claimed that there was no provision for sharecroppers to register for crop insurance. The reports had caused confusion among farmers, the department said.
The government said necessary arrangements have been made to facilitate the enrolment of eligible sharecroppers. The registration process has also been simplified for sharecroppers and landless farmers to make it easier for them to access crop insurance benefits.
Eligible sharecroppers can enrol under PMFBY by furnishing the required details along with an acknowledgement or consent from the owner of the land they are cultivating.
The government has stressed that no eligible farmer should be deprived of the benefits of crop insurance. The Cooperation Department, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department, banks, insurance companies and grassroots-level institutions are working together to facilitate registration and ensure wider coverage.
Officials are also undertaking awareness activities at the grassroots level to inform farmers about the eligibility criteria and assist them during the registration process.
Meanwhile, the deadline for crop insurance registration, earlier fixed for July 31, has been extended to August 15. The extension is aimed at ensuring that eligible farmers get additional time to complete the enrolment process and avail themselves of insurance coverage.
The department has urged farmers not to be misled by reports regarding the eligibility of sharecroppers and asked them to complete the registration process within the extended deadline.
Farmers can approach their nearest Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS), Large Area Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (LAMPS), cooperative bank, any bank branch or Common Service Centre (CSC) for assistance with PMFBY registration.
