In an attempt to create more awareness among farmers about the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the Centre has decided to launch a massive drive of reaching out to nearly 1 crore enrolled farmers physically and distributing them the policy papers of current rabi season.

The nationwide programme to be launched at a function in Indore, Madhya Pradesh by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar from February 26, is banking on States’ active participation for the success. The Ministry has written to all the 20 participating States where PMFBY is operational to coordinate with insurance companies for the “door to door” delivery programme, an official said.

There are an estimated 98.65 lakh farmers who have been enrolled under PMFBY during current rabi season in 19 States. Karnataka is yet to submit data. Out of 3.30 crore applications from these farmers, 73.5 per cent are loanee and remaining 26.5 per cent non-loanee. For the non-loanee farmers, the Centre has left it to the States to decide if they should be covered under the programme or not.

“Non-loanee farmers generally get themselves enrolled through common service centres (CSCs) and get the receipt from there. They may not feel the requirement. Whereas most of the loanee farmers do not possess any documentary proof of their enrollment since it is done through the lending banks,” the official said. The Centre has also allowed States to take a call on whether to reach out to places where a handful of enrolled farmers stay after insurance companies raised some logistics issues in arranging the programmes.

The government has published a format of document in which the policy paper should be submitted where a message from Tomar and also a message from chief minister/agriculture minister of State will be placed.

The Centre has suggested to the States to invite gram panchayat members, ground level State government officials of related departments, local eminent personalities, farmer producer organisations, Krishi Vigyan Kendras to the meeting where the policy papers will delivered. The Centre also has asked States to disseminate about natural farming and adoption of drone technology in agriculture through these meetings.

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