Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre addressing the press in Bidar city on Sunday, December 22, 2025. Photo: Special Arrangement
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister and Bidar District in-charge Eshwar B. Khandre on Sunday (December 22, 2025) said that ₹261.43 crore has been credited to farmers affected by floods during the monsoon season in Bidar district.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Khandre said that compensation was released as per NDRF/SDRF norms: ₹8,500 per hectare for rainfed crops, ₹17,000 for irrigated crops and ₹22,500 for perennial crops. Accordingly, ₹127.16 crore was credited to 1,76,382 farmers.
In addition to this, the State government also announced additional relief of ₹8,500 per hectare, limited to two hectares. This amounted to ₹134.27 crore and was credited to 1,86,426 farmers. In total, a sum of ₹261.43 crore compensation was released to 1,86,426 farmers. Meanwhile compensation to 8,615 farmers is pending due to technical reasons, he said.
Major kharif crops, including soybean, red gram, black gram, green gram and cotton, were sown over 4,32,825 hectares in the district. Excess rainfall and the release of water from the Manjra river in Maharashtra caused flooding, damaging crops over 1,67,202.78 hectares, with an estimated loss of ₹143.60 crore. Joint surveys by the Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulture departments were conducted and details uploaded on the compensation software.
During the 2025-26 kharif season, 2,04,235 crop insurance proposals were registered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Of these, 30,712 red gram farmers insured crops covering 41,648 hectares. Under the Mid-Season Adversity provision, compensation amounting to ₹36.74 crore was transferred against 78,274 proposals.
In addition, insurance claims totalling ₹41.52 crore will be paid by January to 88,886 farmers who reported crop losses due to localised natural calamities, the Minister added.
For the rabi season, 7,752 insurance proposals have been registered so far. The deadline to insure crops such as chickpea, wheat and jowar is December 31, he said.
Mr. Khandre demanded that the Union Government release a white paper on crop insurance coverage, premiums paid by farmers and profits earned by private insurance companies over the past nine years.
Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Girish Badole and Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gunti were present.
Published – December 22, 2025 12:17 pm IST
