Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to relax the rules of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for immediate relief to affected farmers after crop loss. Gehlot has also demanded to change the rule of compensating farmers for loss of crops on only two hectares of land in cases of natural calamity and increase this limit, according to a statement.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relax the rules of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana issued in October 2022 so that affected farmers can get immediate relief after crop loss. The chief minister has also demanded to change the rule of compensating farmers for loss of crops on only two hectares of land in cases of natural calamity and increase this limit, according to a statement.
"Gehlot has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to amend the new rules issued by the government of India in October 2022 in order to end the inclusion of assistance given to farmers from State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for crop damage with the amount received through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana," it said. "The chief minister wrote that farmers were not getting immediate relief for crop damage due to the rule. Calculating the insured amount to be received by farmers during calamities from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a complex and lengthy process," the statement added.
This leads to multiple delays in disbursement of SDRF assistance while farmers have to raise funds for the next crop immediately after crop damage, it said. Gehlot further wrote that before the new rules that came into existence in October 2022, farmers used to receive quick financial assistance under the SDRF. Therefore, the rules must be amended in order to provide immediate assistance under the SDRF, the statement added.