Punjab Government reluctant to adopt the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in its original form, representatives of both governments here today agreed to set up a special committee that would suggest changes in the crop insurance scheme to make it beneficial for the state’s agriculture sector.
This was decided at a meeting, attended by top bureaucrats of the Union ministries of Agriculture and Food Processing, representatives of the Agriculture Insurance Corporation of India, experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), and top state government officers.
It has been proposed to constitute a joint committee of experts from PAU, Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), senior officers of the Punjab and Central Governments and representatives of insurance firms to suggest the changes and submit a report to the Centre.
“Provisions of the new crop insurance scheme will not benefit Punjab and its farmers. Therefore, it has been proposed to constitute a new committee, whose members would be announced early next week,” confirmed Dr GS Kalkat, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers’ Commission, who chaired the meeting.
Siraj Hussain and Ashish Bhutani, former secretary and incumbent joint secretary to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, respectively, and secretary to Union Ministry of Food Processing AK Srivastva, who has played a key role in drafting the PMFBY, represented the Centre at today’s meeting. PAU Vice-Chancellor BS Dhillon and Punjab’s additional chief secretary Suresh Kumar were also present.
“Crop loss on a large scale and subsequent reduction in yield happens rarely in Punjab. Rather, farmers successfully maintain yield by pumping in more money in the form of input costs. We want that such factors should also be addressed in the scheme,” said an expert who attended the meeting.
This was decided at a meeting, attended by top bureaucrats of the Union ministries of Agriculture and Food Processing, representatives of the Agriculture Insurance Corporation of India, experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), and top state government officers.
It has been proposed to constitute a joint committee of experts from PAU, Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), senior officers of the Punjab and Central Governments and representatives of insurance firms to suggest the changes and submit a report to the Centre.
“Provisions of the new crop insurance scheme will not benefit Punjab and its farmers. Therefore, it has been proposed to constitute a new committee, whose members would be announced early next week,” confirmed Dr GS Kalkat, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers’ Commission, who chaired the meeting.
Siraj Hussain and Ashish Bhutani, former secretary and incumbent joint secretary to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, respectively, and secretary to Union Ministry of Food Processing AK Srivastva, who has played a key role in drafting the PMFBY, represented the Centre at today’s meeting. PAU Vice-Chancellor BS Dhillon and Punjab’s additional chief secretary Suresh Kumar were also present.
“Crop loss on a large scale and subsequent reduction in yield happens rarely in Punjab. Rather, farmers successfully maintain yield by pumping in more money in the form of input costs. We want that such factors should also be addressed in the scheme,” said an expert who attended the meeting.