PMFBY Goes Digital: Automated Claim Settlement For Aatmanirbhar Farmers

A digitized claim settlement module called ‘DigiClaim’ was launched under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar on March 23rd, 2023. The module aims to disburse claims electronically to insured farmers in a time-bound and automated manner. With the launch of this module, claims totaling Rs 1260.35 crore have been disbursed to farmers in six states, and the automated claim settlement process will continue as and when the claims are released.

Overview

The DigiClaim Module has been launched under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to disburse claims electronically to insured farmers in a time-bound and automated manner. Insurance claims totaling Rs 1260.35 crore have been disbursed to farmers in six states, including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana with the click of a button and the process will continue whenever the claims are released.

The government is collaborating closely with all the states that have withdrawn from the scheme, and Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are set to rejoin the program. Telangana and Jharkhand have also expressed their interest in returning to PMFBY. The implementation of the DigiClaim Module has been made possible through the integration of the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) and the Public Finance Management System (PFMS). Real-time tracking of the claim settlement process will be possible for farmers on their mobile phones, enabling them to benefit from the scheme.

The DigiClaim Module aims to expedite the claim disbursal process of valid crop loss claims and directly impact the claim reversal ratio, which is expected to go down with DigiClaim. The initial phase of launching the Farmer Grievance Portal in Chhattisgarh has garnered a positive response. The second phase will see the implementation of the portal across the country. The DigiClaim Module is another feather in PMFBY’s cap in its ongoing effort to usher in advanced technological solutions such as automated calculation and disbursement of crop insurance claims.

Important Information

• The digitized claim settlement module called DigiClaim Module has been introduced under the PMFBY.
• Insured farmers will receive sustainable financial support through the automated claim settlement process.
• The insured farmers under PMFBY have received a claim amount of Rs 1.32 lakh crore till date.
• The “Meri Policy, Mere Haath” campaign has been monumental in enhancing the awareness of PMFBY at the grassroots levels.

Conclusion

The government has taken a significant step towards the development of farmers by launching the DigiClaim module under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to disburse crop insurance claims electronically. Farmers will be able to track the real-time progress of their claim settlement process and benefit from the scheme by using their mobile phones due to these technological advancements. The government is also working closely with the states to ensure timely uploading of yield data onto the crop insurance portal and releasing the states share on time to transfer claims to farmers bank accounts in a hassle-free manner. This technological advancement and integration of innovative technologies such as Yes-Tech, WINDS and CROPIC fall in line with PM Modi’s vision of making India a digital powerhouse with more technology-driven innovations paving Ease of Living for farmers.