Bangla Shasya Bima — Free Crop Insurance for Farmers (2026)

What Is the Bangla Shasya Bima Scheme

Bangla Shasya Bima (BSB), also written Bangla Shashya Bima Yojana, is a crop insurance scheme launched by the Government of West Bengal in 2019 to protect farmers from financial losses caused by crop damage. It is implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal, in partnership with the Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) of India and other empanelled insurers, and is also known as the West Bengal Bangla Shasya Crop Insurance Scheme.

The defining feature of Bangla Shasya Bima is that it is completely free for farmers, unlike most crop insurance products, farmers pay no premium at all. The entire insurance premium is borne by the West Bengal state government on the farmers' behalf, making it one of the most farmer-friendly crop insurance programmes in the country.

Farmers can view official notifications and guidelines on banglashasyabima.net.

Objective of the Scheme

The primary objectives of Bangla Shasya Bima include:

• Protect Farmer Income: Protect farmers' income from the financial shock of crop loss caused by natural calamities, pests, or disease.
• Reduce Loan Burden: Reduce agricultural distress and the burden of loan repayment when a season's harvest is damaged or destroyed.
• Ensure Parity for All Cultivators: Ensure stability for both loanee farmers (those who have taken agricultural loans) and non-loanee farmers cultivating notified crops.
• Support Small & Marginal Farmers: Support small and marginal farmers in particular, since crop loss disproportionately affects those with the least financial cushion.
• Encourage Continuous Cultivation: Encourage continuous cultivation by removing the fear of total loss from unpredictable weather or pest events.

Explore all Farmer Schemes in West Bengal and learn about the complementary Krishak Bandhu Scheme for complete agricultural welfare details.

Coverage — What's Included

Bangla Shasya Bima covers crop loss across the full agricultural cycle, from sowing through to post-harvest, for both major crop seasons:

• Kharif crops and Rabi crops are both covered under the scheme.
• Farmers can claim compensation for loss arising from:
  • Mid-season adversity (unexpected weather events during the growing season).
  • Prevented sowing (unable to sow due to adverse weather or drought).
  • Failed sowing/germination.
  • Standing crop loss due to natural calamities, floods, pests, or plant disease.
  • Post-harvest losses, in specific notified circumstances.
• The exact list of notified crops covered is announced separately for each Kharif and Rabi season, so farmers should check the current season's notification to confirm their crop is included.
• Compensation amounts are calculated by the insurance company after ground inspection, satellite imagery assessment, and yield data comparison against normal-season benchmarks for the notified area.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for free crop insurance coverage under Bangla Shasya Bima, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:

• The applicant must be a permanent resident of West Bengal.
• The applicant must be an owner-cultivator or sharecropper actively growing one of the notified crops for the relevant season.
• Two categories of farmers are covered:
  • Loanee farmers: Those who have taken (or applied for) an agricultural loan from a registered bank or government institution are automatically covered.
  • Non-loanee farmers: Farmers growing notified crops who haven't taken a loan can still opt into the scheme voluntarily.
• The applicant must possess valid land or cultivation documents proving they are cultivating the insured crop.
• The applicant should not be a loan defaulter with a bank, where applicable to their category.

Documents Required

Prepare photocopies of the following documents before submitting your enrolment form:

• Identity Proof: Aadhaar card, PAN card, Voter ID, or driving licence.
• Address Proof: Aadhaar card, valid passport, or utility bill.
• Land/Cultivation Proof: Land ownership document (Khatian/Parcha) or cultivation/tenancy proof signed by local authorities for sharecroppers.
• Bank Account Details: Bank passbook showing account number, IFSC code, and single account holder name for DBT compensation.
• Crop Details: Specific crop details and acreage for the season being insured.

How to Apply

Bangla Shasya Bima enrolment can be completed online or offline:

Online Method:

1. Visit the official Bangla Shasya Bima portal: banglashasyabima.net.
2. Register by entering your personal details, land/crop information, and uploading the required documents (Aadhaar, bank details, land records).
3. Submit your application before the enrolment window closes for the relevant Kharif or Rabi season, enrolment periods are announced separately for each season and don't stay open year-round.

Offline Method:

1. Approach your nearest agriculture office, bank branch, or designated channel partner/insurance intermediary handling BSB enrolments in your area.
2. Provide your Aadhaar, land documents, and crop details for verification.
3. Loanee farmers are typically enrolled automatically through their bank at the time of taking an eligible agricultural loan, so no separate application may be needed in that case.

Since no premium is charged to the farmer, there's no payment step involved, the state government settles the premium directly with the insurance company on the farmer's behalf.

To apply or submit a claim online step-by-step, see our dedicated application and claim guide.

Claim Process

Because Bangla Shasya Bima is a loss-triggered insurance scheme rather than a fixed cash-transfer scheme, farmers only receive a payout after verified crop damage, not automatically each season:

1. Report the Loss: If your crop is damaged, contact the insurance company (or your bank, for loanee farmers) and report the loss as soon as possible (typically within 72 hours of the calamity).
2. Submit Proof of Damage: This generally includes photographs and supporting documentation of the affected crop and field.
3. Field Inspection & Assessment: In cases of localised damage, an inspector may visit your field; for widespread calamities affecting an entire notified area, yield data comparisons and satellite imagery are used instead of individual inspections.
4. Claim Calculation: The insurance company calculates compensation based on the extent of loss compared to the normal expected yield for that notified area and crop.
5. Approval & Disbursement: Once approved by the Competent Authority of the insurance company, compensation is transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the farmer's bank account. For farmers covered through a financial institution/loan, claims are released electronically with confirmation documentation to follow.

Track your claim status online through the Bangla Shasya Bima portal, or contact the insurance claim helpline if your payment is delayed despite an approved claim.

If your claim seems delayed despite valid loss and documentation, this is a common grievance farmers report, usually linked to the timing of the state government's upfront premium subsidy transfer to the insurer, which must be received before the insurer can settle claims for that season.

Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE) and Area Yield Estimation

To determine accurate yield loss percentages across notified Gram Panchayats, the Department of Agriculture conducts structured Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE):

• Randomized Field Sampling: Officers from the Directorate of Agriculture select randomized 5m x 5m plots within notified Gram Panchayats to harvest and weigh crop samples.
• Threshold Yield Comparison: The harvested average yield per hectare is compared against the historical 5-year average (Threshold Yield) for that specific Mouza.
• Automated Loss Calculation: If the actual yield falls below the threshold yield, all enrolled farmers in that notified unit receive proportional claim compensation automatically without needing individual loss surveys.

Satellite Remote Sensing and Drone Surveys for Mid-Season Losses

Modern agricultural technology ensures rapid compensation release during widespread flood or cyclone emergencies:

• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI): Satellite imagery provided by ISRO and RSAC assesses vegetation vigor loss immediately following natural calamities like cyclones Amphan or Remal.
• Drone Reconnaissance in High-Risk Zones: In flood-prone regions such as Ghatal, Sundarbans, and Murshidabad, high-resolution drone imagery provides micro-level flooding verification for fast-track claim settlement.
• Direct IFMS Payout Integration: Final claim settlements are uploaded to the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) for direct bank credit into Aadhaar-seeded accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Schemes