SRINAGAR,: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) across Jammu and Kashmir.
The scheme, which now covers all 20 districts of the Union Territory, offers insurance coverage to farmers for notified crops such as paddy, maize, and oilseeds. The meeting primarily focused on increasing farmer enrolment, particularly among Kisan Credit Card (KCC) holders, to enhance scheme saturation.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD); Directors of Agriculture from Jammu and Kashmir; Convenor of UTLBC; representatives from NABARD; and other banking institutions.
During the session, the Chief Secretary expressed concern over the low enrolment rate under PMFBY, which currently stands at just over 18% across the UT. He noted that nearly 5 lakh eligible farmers remain uncovered and issued strict directions to all banks to ensure immediate enrolment of eligible KCC holders.
To ensure accountability, the Convenor of UTLBC has been directed to submit daily progress reports until the enrolment window closes on August 31, 2025.
Principal Secretary APD, Shailendra Kumar, stressed the need to focus efforts on districts with large cultivable areas but low insurance coverage. He also underscored the importance of raising awareness about the scheme, especially the crucial 72-hour window within which farmers must file claims for crop losses.
Director Agriculture, Kashmir, in a presentation, detailed the journey of PMFBY in J&K. Initially launched on March 31, 2016, the scheme was implemented in 10 districts. It was later expanded to four more districts—Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, and Anantnag—in Kharif 2021, and eventually extended to all 20 districts by Kharif 2023.
The scheme has witnessed significant growth since its inception. From 2017 to Rabi 2024, a total of 9.43 lakh farmers were covered, out of which 2.78 lakh farmers received claim benefits amounting to Rs 161.06 crore.
It was further revealed that 5.55 lakh hectares of agricultural land were insured during this period, with a total premium of Rs 361.61 crore. Of this, farmers contributed Rs 67.17 crore, the UT government Rs 93.31 crore, and the Government of India Rs 201.13 crore.
Ongoing enrolment for Kharif 2025 was also reviewed. The enrolment deadline has been extended to August 14, 2025, for non-loanee farmers and August 31, 2025, for loanee farmers.
Current data indicates a disparity in progress between the two divisions:
- Jammu division has insured 47,256.37 hectares, covering 1,01,426 farmers (34.04% of the target).
- Kashmir division has insured 16,827.30 hectares, covering 58,228 farmers (18.94% of the target).
The meeting also addressed challenges affecting the scheme’s implementation. A new approach was adopted wherein the UT’s share of the premium will be released through an escrow account as soon as the Central share is received, ensuring timely disbursement of claims to farmers.
