Rythu Bima, the State’s prestigious ₹5-lakh insurance cover scheme for all farmers through the Life Insurance Corporation of India, fails to meet its first preparatory deadline. The deadline to fill nominee details is June 30. So far, only 40% of the job has been complete. Nearly, 21 lakh more farmers across the State are yet to be contacted and their nominations filled. With the agricultural season just taking off, keeping farmers busy, and many new agricultural extension officers lacking situational awareness, sticking to the deadline is getting delayed, say officials. While there are 41.06 lakh farmers with the new pattadar passbooks in the State, excluding irregularities and withheld ones, about 20.8 lakh farmers were contacted and 17.7 lakh have completed filling the nominee details. Rythu Samanvaya Samithi chairman and Nalgonda MP Gutha Sukhender Reddy said the agriculture season was the major reason for the delay. However, farmers should co-operate by spending just 15 minutes to complete the process, he said.