State to pay farmers’ crop insurance premium for 3 yrs

Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday began a department-wise performance review as his government nears completion of four years of his current five-year term on May 29.
On the first day, Naveen reviewed the performance of the health department besides food supplies and consumer welfare and cooperation. After the review, food supplies and consumer welfare and cooperation minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the government has decided to bear the farmers’ share in crop insurance premium for three years from 2023 to 2026. “This is a unique step after extending farm loan at zero per cent interest to strengthen the farmers’ fiscal health,” Nayak said.
Farmers currently pay a premium of 2% of the total coverage under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, which is around Rs 626 per acre. The rest is equally shared by the state and Centre. The state will bear the farmer’s share from 2023 kharif season to rabi season of 2026.
Nayak described it as a major achievement of the government that no eligible and distressed person is left out of the food security scheme. He said in the last four years there has been a 300% increase in the number of marginal farmers and 60% increase in number of small farmers who are selling paddy to the government and are getting benefits of minimum support price (MSP).
In the past four years, 35% more farmers (5 lakh) have registered with the government to sell their surplus paddy, he said. “The government is ensuring payment of MSP to the farmers within 24 to 48 hours, which is one of the fastest in the country,” he added.
Health minister Niranjan Pujari said the state has scaled new heights in healthcare and medical education by adding eight new medical colleges and two post-graduate institutes in the past six years. Similarly, universal health coverage for 96.5 lakh families covering over 3.3 crore people under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana has revolutionised healthcare, providing cashless facility in nearly 700 premier private hospitals across 17 states. “Each month, nearly 1 lakh patients receive cashless healthcare of Rs 225 crore in private empanelled hospitals across the country in the state,” Pujari said.
After the state government decision in 2021 to reserve 15% of MBBS seats for students of government high schools, 415 students of government high schools have got admission in MBBS courses under this policy in the past two years. “As committed, the state will commission the 750-bed Bagchi Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and 200-bed NISER cancer hospital this year,” Pujari said.
Earlier, Naveen had written to his 20 ministerial colleagues to apprise him about five biggest achievements of each department under them. Naveen has scheduled his assessment exercise for 10 days from May 22 to June 1. Reviews of performance of works, forest, environment & climate change besides social security & empowerment of persons with disability departments are scheduled on Tuesday.