In a major push to protect Odisha’s farmers from weather uncertainties and crop losses, the 64th State Level Crop Insurance Coordination Committee (SLCCCI) meeting was held today at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anu Garg.
The high-powered meeting conducted an in-depth review of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the Kharif-2026 season, with a clear focus on making the scheme more efficient, transparent and accessible to the maximum number of farmers.
Following Central Government guidelines, the committee decided to continue the PMFBY in its existing form for Kharif-2026. Detailed discussions were held on the 60:130 Crop and Cap model and provisions for covering local disasters as well as post-harvest losses.
A key highlight of the meeting was the review of progress under the Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) project. The Chief Secretary directed district administrations to immediately identify suitable locations for installing automatic weather stations and rain gauges to improve real-time weather data and early warning systems.
In a significant move to strengthen implementation, the State Project Monitoring Unit (SPMU) has been constituted. The unit comprises a dedicated team of experts — including a State Project Lead, IEC Specialist, GIS & Software Specialist, Capacity Building Specialist and Procurement Specialist. It will handle project monitoring, digital platform management, awareness campaigns, data management and inter-departmental coordination to ensure faster claim settlements and greater transparency.
The meeting also discussed continued financial support to the Directorate of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and the Cooperation Department for smooth functioning of the scheme.
Strong emphasis was placed on bringing more farmers under the insurance net, achieving 100% coverage of AgriStack and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) holders, widespread use of Digital Crop Survey, complete collection of crop cutting experiment data and technology-based monitoring.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Sachin Ramchandra Yadav, Director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman, Registrar of Cooperative Societies Manish Agarwal, Director of Economics & Statistics Dr. Bijay Bhushan Nanda, CEO of ORSAC Smt. Rashmita Panda and senior officials from various departments.
With these proactive steps, the Odisha government is reinforcing its commitment to farmer welfare by combining traditional crop insurance with modern technology, real-time weather intelligence and inclusive coverage — ensuring that every farmer in the state feels more secure ahead of the crucial Kharif season.
