Ranchi: The Jharkhand govt has opened registrations for the Birsa-Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a crop insurance scheme, which provides comprehensive cover to farmers from financial distress caused by erratic weather and natural calamities at a nominal cost across all 24 districts.Jharkhand experienced a 25% overall rainfall deficit. Nine districts received normal rainfall, 13 deficient, and two severe deficits between June 1 and July 30 this year, data of the Ranchi office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) revealed.August rainfall is expected to remain below normal across most of the state under the impact of El Niño, threatening kharif crop sowing and transplanting, Ranchi Met officials said.Urging farmers to enroll, agriculture minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey said, “The registration portal was made active on Monday. Farmers can visit their nearest pragya kendra (common service centre) to register.”Under the scheme, kharif crops like paddy and maize will be insured for a token premium of just Re 1 per hectare. The state govt will fully subsidise and bear the remaining portion of the actual insurance premium. Farmers will be eligible for compensation of up to 80% of the total insured value in cases of crop loss or severe yield reduction due to excessive rainfall, low rainfall, drought-like conditions, hailstorms or other natural disasters.“The objective of the govt is to ensure that no eligible farmer is left vulnerable to the whims of nature. All district administration officials and agriculture department executives have been directed to guide eligible farmers in the registration process,” Tirkey said.Benefits are accessible to both loanee and non-loanee farmers, encompassing landowners as well as sharecroppers. Applications can be submitted online via the scheme portal (http://pmfby.gov.in), Pragya Kendras (CSC), post offices, regional rural banks, scheduled commercial banks, or the Jharkhand State Cooperative Bank. A nominal token fee of Re 1 is charged during application to verify the applicant’s bank account.The month-long enrolment drive is expected to bring lakhs of small and marginal farmers into the insurance safety net and strengthen agrarian resilience across Jharkhand’s rural belt. The application deadline for non-loanee farmers is August 31, officials said.
