Insurance schemes for fishing communities
Insurance schemes for fishing communities
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a flagship scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana” (PMMSY) to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector and welfare of fishermen in India with an investment of Rs. 20,750 crore in all States/ Union Territories. The scheme inter-alia provides social security measure to fishers including inland fishermen and fish workers through group accidental insurance coverage to both marine and inland fishers and allied fish workers wherein the entire insurance premium amount is shared between the Centre &State in the ratio of 60:40 basis for General States, 90:10 for the Himalayan & North Eastern States and in the case of the Union Territories, the entire premium amount is paid by the Centre. The insurance coverage provided under the PMMSY includes (i) Rs.5,00,000/- against death or permanent total disability, (ii) Rs.2,50,000/- for permanent partial disability and (iii) hospitalization expenses in the event of accident for a sum of Rs. 25,000/. During the last three years (2022-23 to 2024-25) of the implementation of the PMMSY, Central Government has released a sum of Rs.54.03 crore for insurance coverage of 103.73 lakh fishers with an average of 34.57 lakh fishers annually.
Further, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India is implementing a new Central Sector Sub-scheme namely the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) at an estimated outlay of ₹6000 crore comprising of ₹3,000 crore the public finance and the remaining ₹3,000crore corresponding private investment. The PM-MKSSY provides for one time incentive for purchase of aquaculture insurance by farmers and the insurance products available under PM-MKSSY includes: (i) Basic Insurance which covers yield losses due to non-preventable perils(risks), such as summer kill, pollution, earthquakes, cyclones, floods, other natural calamities, riots, malicious acts of third parties including poisoning, loss of crop due to structural damage of farms and (ii) Comprehensive Insurance which covers perils under Basic Insurance and additional perils due to diseases etc. The one time incentive for aquaculture insurance is provided at the rate of 40% of the premium paid with a ceiling up to ₹25,000 per hectare, or ₹1lakh per farmer for 4 hectares Water Spread Area (WSA). For the aquaculture system including intensive systems like farms, cage culture, RAS, bio-floc, and raceways etc. aquaculture insurance is provided at the rate of 40% of the premium paid with a ceiling up to ₹1 lakh per farmer for 1800 m3 for intensive aquaculture systems. Further, the SC/ST and women beneficiaries get an additional 10% of incentive.
PMMSY inter alia envisages development of Integrated Modern Coastal Villages with an aim to maximize economic and social benefits to coastal fishers while minimizing environmental degradation through sustainable fishing practices. This initiative aims to empower fishers in coastal villages by securing their livelihoods and enhancing participation along the fisheries value chain. It supports fisheries infrastructure, modern amenities, disaster resilient houses, cyclone and tsunami shelters and post-harvest amenities based on the local needs and priorities of the villages. This activity under the PMMSY seeks to leverage the inherent strengths of coastal villages to sustainably amplify their economic benefits. The development of Integrated Modern Coastal Fishing Villages is a non-beneficiary-oriented activity of PMMSY, implemented in partnership with the coastal State Governments on a 60:40 cost-sharing basis between the Central and State Governments. The development of CRCFV has been taken up under the Central Sector Scheme Component of PMMSY with a unit cost of Rs 200 lakh per fishing village and the Government of India meets the entire cost (100%). The details of the projects approved and funds disbursed for the implementation of the aforesaid activity is as under:
Sl. No
Name of the State
Allocated Villages (Nos)
Villages for which DPRs Received (Nos)
Administrative Approval provided
Funds released 1st Instalment
(Rs. in lakh)
(Rs. in lakh)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(vii)
(viii)
1
Andaman & Nicobar
5
3
600
150
2
Andhra Pradesh
15
15
3000
750
3
Daman &Diu
1
–
0
4
Goa
2
2
400
100
5
Gujarat
8
8
1200
300
6
Karnataka
5
5
1000
250
7
Kerala
6
6
1200
300
8
Lakshadweep
2
2
400
100
9
Maharashtra
15
15
3000
750
10
Odisha
18
18
3600
900
11
Puducherry
2
2
400
100
12
Tamil Nadu
16
16
3200
800
13
West Bengal
5
5
1000
250
Total
100
97
19000
4750
This information was given by Shri Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, in reply to a question asked in the Rajya-Sabha today.