Review PMFBY

Recent changes may actually be counterproductive

The government’s much-vaunted crop insurance scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) — seems to be losing the confidence of its stakeholders despite some recent demand-driven modifications in its format. As many as six states — West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Punjab — have opted out of it and some more, such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, are debating to do so. Telangana and Jharkhand quit the scheme after its revamp in February. The states generally reckon the premium quoted by the insurance companies as too high. A sizable part of their agriculture sector’s