Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, on July 29, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Sansad TV via PTI
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), the crop insurance scheme of the Union Government, had to be revamped owing to the non-cooperation of certain State governments, particularly the erstwhile YSRCP-led government in Andhra Pradesh, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (July 29, 2025).
Mr. Chouhan said the then Andhra Pradesh government failed to pay the State’s share of the premium for the insurance for three years.
Responding to a question from an MP from Rajasthan, Hanuman Beniwal, Mr. Chouhan said the Centre had mandated that farmers’ claims would he paid in 21 days. “Some States announced that they would pay the farmer insurance premium themselves. However, Andhra Pradesh didn’t contribute the State’s share towards premium, due to which farmers suffered and couldn’t get insurance,” he said. Considering this bad experience, the Centre modified the policy and decided to pay its share of insurance even if the State government does not pay, he said.
PM-Kisan fund release
On Wednesday (July 30, 2025), Mr. Chouhan announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 20th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) on Saturday (August 2, 2025). Mr. Chouhan chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) to review the preparations for the event, which will be held in Varanasi.
“Since the launch of the scheme in 2019, ₹3.69 lakh crore has been transferred to farmers’ accounts through 19 instalments. In the 20th instalment, ₹20,500 crore will be transferred to 9.7 crore farmers,” a government release said.
The Directors and vice-chancellors of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and agricultural universities, as well as the heads of 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) virtually attended the meeting.
Published – July 30, 2025 10:20 pm IST
