Bangla Shashya Bima Yojana (BSB)

The West Bengal Government has launched a new scheme entitled “Bangla Shashya Bima Yojana” for the farmers in the state. Under this scheme, the Government will provide crop insurance coverage to farmers, especially for the Kharif season crops. This scheme is supervised by the Department of Agriculture of West Bengal. In this article we look at the Bangla Shashya Bima Yojana features, application procedure, eligibility criteria in detail.

Eligibility Criteria for Crop Loan

The below listed are the eligibility criteria to apply for the Bangla Shashya Bima Yojana:

The farmer to be a permanent resident of West Bengal.
The farmer must have taken a loan from the registered bank or any government institution.
All farmers taking loans (granted/ applied for) can avail Bangla Shasya Bima Scheme insurance benefits.
All other farmers growing notified crops (i.e., Non-Loanee farmers) are eligible to opt for the Scheme.
According to the scheme, as the applicant will get the insurance coverage only after facing damage of crops, the beneficiary has to submit the proper proof/ documents of damage to the authority.
The farmer applicant should not be a defaulter in a bank.

Documents Required

The following documents are needed for registration to this scheme:

Identity Proof: PAN, Aadhaar Card, Driving License, Voter Identity Card, etc.
Address Proof: PAN Card, Valid Passport, Utility bill,
Bank account details.
One passport size photo of the applicant.
Signature verification of applicants
Farmer ID Proof
Land Measurements Documents
Documents related to the extent of crop failure
Details of existing loans and repayment track records
Any other document if required

Salient Features of the Scheme

The below following are some of the main features and benefits of applying for the Bangla Shashya Bima Yojana:

This scheme has been implemented by the State Government to overcome the financial crisis of the farmers who are under Economically Weaker Section.
This scheme also ensures to improve the financial conditions of farmers to bring stability in their livelihood.
The verification process of beneficiaries will be done for providing the loans.
Bangla Shashya Bima Scheme has been launched in the collaboration with Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) of India.
The applicants will not have to pay any premium amount to avail the Bangla Shashya Bima scheme benefits.
On behalf of the farmers, the state government will bear the BSB insurance premium.
All the beneficiaries under this scheme would be paid insurance in 4 stages and the amount would be calculated per hectare.
This crop insurance scheme will enable farmers to meet up their losses in case their crops get damaged due to any reason.
Through this scheme, the WB Government aims to reduce the suicide rate of farmers which occurs when farmers losses in their agriculture. This scheme will also prevent farmers from falling into the debt trap.

Stages for Payment of Insurance

Under this scheme, the insurance would be paid in 4 stages as listed below:

For any losses undergone during planting
Losses suffered during cultivation
The losses suffered during the period post-cutting when crops are lying in the field
Losses caused due to adverse weather situations.

Amount Calculation

The State Government of West Bengal will decide the amount of insurance which would be calculated on per hectare basis.

Crops Covered for Insurance

Aman paddy
Aus paddy
jute and maize.
Bajra and Oilseeds
Wheat
Annual Commercial/Annual Horticultural crops
Other crops (cereals, other millets and pulses)

Premium Rates

A premium subsidy of full 100% applies to the small and Marginal farmers provided by the Government. The premium bonus will be phased out in a period of 5 years, subject to analysis of the financial results and the reply of the farmers at the end of the 1st year of the implementation of the Scheme.

Implementation of the Scheme

This scheme aims to set a path for the development of agriculture in the state. The implementation of the scheme will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the scheme will remain applicable in 15 districts and the number of districts to be expanded in the next (2nd) phase.

Districts Covered

The below listed are the districts covered under the scheme:

Darjeeling
Kalimpong
Purba Bardhaman
Paschim Bardhaman
Purba Medinipur
Malda
Hooghly
Nadia
Murshidabad
Cooch Behar
Birbhum
Purulia
Dakshin Dinajpur
North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.

Online Application Procedure

As the scheme has been started recently, the state government has yet to be revealed about the online application process. The online application procedure for the scheme will be intimated in the official portal by the government. The West Bengal Government is more likely to opt for an online application process for the ease of the applicants.