Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar handed over crop insurance policies to farmers and outlined government initiatives aimed at strengthening the farm sector at a workshop organised at Jawali in Kangra district on Friday.
Rahul Katoch, Additional Director of Agriculture, Dharamsala, chaired the workshop while the farmers of the area attended it. The minister said that the state government was implementing a series of measures to make agriculture more profitable and sustainable. He added that Rs 15.95 crore had been earmarked for Kangra district under state and centrally-sponsored schemes to be utilised by the end of March 2026. “Subsidies are being provided to farmers on agricultural machinery, including tractors and power weeders, along with quality seeds and plant protection materials,” he added.
About the Him Krishi Yojana, he said that 37 clusters, each covering 40 bighas to 70 bighas had been selected in Kangra district. Under the scheme, farmers were being provided facilities such as bore wells, micro-irrigation systems, vermicompost units, poly tunnels, fencing and spray pumps to reduce input costs and enhance productivity. During the current financial year, Rs 1.71 crore was being spent in the district under the scheme.
Under the “Meri Policy Mere Haath” campaign of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, crop insurance policies were given to 15 farmers of the Jawali area. The minister said that during the ongoing Rabi season, 28,949 farmers in Kangra district had insured their crops. In cases of wheat crop damage due to natural calamities, compensation would be provided based on the extent of loss, with up to Rs 4,800 per bigha for complete crop damage.
He also presented cheques for Rs 81,120 and Rs 32,400 to two farmers as compensation for losses incurred in the previous year’s wheat crop. He added that these amounts had already been credited to their bank accounts and the presentation was aimed at formally informing the beneficiaries and encouraging other farmers to enrol under the insurance scheme.
Senior agriculture officials, including Deputy Director Kuldeep Dhiman, Project Director (ATMA) Raj Kumar, Subject Matter Specialist Praveen Atri and State Bio-Control Laboratory in-charge Anju Thakur, were present on the occasion.
Source - https://www.tribuneindia.com
