Jaipur, Feb. 10 -- Only 21% farmer applications benefitted from insurance claim settlements between FY 2022-23 and FY 2024-25 under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Rajasthan, data presented by the Centre in the Rajya Sabha shows, raising concerns about the huge gap between enrolment and actual payout. According to the data provided by the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, while 114.7 million farmer insurance applications were registered under PMFBY during the three-year period, only 24.7 million applications resulted in claim settlements. Data showed that claims from these 24.7 million applications totalled Rs.10,282.79 crore, of which Rs.9,929.57 crore was paid to farmers, indicating a high settlement ratio. The details emerged in response to an unstarred question in Parliament by Rajendra Gehlot, outlining district-wise enrolment, claims reported, and compensation paid. The data presented in Parliament indicates that PMFBY continues to see strong participation across Rajasthan's agricultural districts. Despite large-scale enrolment, only around 21-22% of applications translated into claim benefits during the three-year period. Large farming belts such as Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Jaipur, Bharatpur and Churu accounted for some of the highest enrolments, reflecting farmers' growing reliance on crop insurance amid recurring climate uncertainties and crop losses. Districts including Churu, Hanumangarh, Jodhpur, Nagaur, and Bikaner reported the highest claim volumes, underscoring crop losses and insurance coverage in major belts, the data revealed. For instance, Churu recorded payouts exceeding Rs.1,729 crore, while Hanumangarh farmers received over Rs.1,194 crore. The Union agriculture ministry has introduced structural reforms to boost transparency and speed up claim settlements, especially for small and marginal farmers. A key measure strengthens the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP), a centralised platform for enrolment, data management, and direct electronic transfers to farmers' bank accounts. To streamline payments further, the government has operationalised a "Digiclaim Module" integrating NCIP with the Public Finance Management System and insurers' accounting systems. The module automatically imposes a 12% penalty on insurers for delays, enforcing timely disbursal. Other reforms delink the Centre's premium subsidy share from states' contributions, ensuring proportionate payments without hold-ups. From the Kharif 2025 season, states must maintain escrow accounts for advance premium deposits to avoid processing bottlenecks. Technology enhancements include mobile-app capture of crop cutting experiment (CCE) data, integration of land records with the portal, and insurer access to assessments. Tranche-based settlements began from the Rabi 2024-25 season to accelerate farmer compensation. A senior BJP leader said, "The companies are looting, and the benefit isn't reaching the farmers. The government should look into the matter ensuring the farmers get their dues." Kissan Mahapanchayat president Rampal Jat said, "Since the inception of the scheme in 2016, it has been working largely for the benefit of insurance companies. The companies have earned more than Rs.35,000 crore in the last five years." He added that the money belongs to the public, the mechanism is run by the government, and the profits are going to the insurance companies....