Bangla Shasya Bima (BSB)
Crop insurance where the farmer pays nothing at all — the state government funds the entire premium, covering the crop from sowing through to post-harvest.
Run by: Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal
- Premium
- Zero — paid by the state
- Cover period
- Sowing to post-harvest
- Risks
- Weather, pest and disease
- Crops
- Paddy, jute, maize and more
Overview
Most crop insurance fails at the same point: the premium. A farmer weighing a certain cost against an uncertain payout usually skips it, and is uninsured in the year it matters. West Bengal removed that decision in 2019 by paying the whole premium itself — Bangla Shasya Bima costs the farmer nothing.
Cover runs across the crop’s life, from sowing to the post-harvest stage, against adverse weather as well as pest and disease attack. It covers notified crops including paddy, jute and maize, varying by season and district. Both loanee farmers (those who have taken or applied for a crop loan) and non-loanee farmers growing a notified crop can enrol.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- No premium whatsoever — the state government funds the entire cost of the insurance.
- Protection across the whole crop cycle, from sowing right through to the post-harvest stage.
- Covers loss from adverse weather and from pest and disease attack, not weather alone.
- Open to both loanee and non-loanee farmers growing a notified crop.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Permanent resident of West Bengal
- Growing a crop notified for your season and district
- Loanee farmers (crop loan taken or applied for) and non-loanee farmers alike
- Enrolled within the season’s cut-off date
Not covered
- Crops not notified for that season and district
- Enrolment after the season’s cut-off date
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Aadhaar card
- Land record / proof of cultivation (or the barga record)
- Bank passbook
- Crop and area details for the season
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Enrol before the season cut-off
Register on banglashasyabima.net, at a Bangla Sahayata Kendra or your block agriculture office, within the season’s window.
- 2
Nothing to pay
There is no premium to remit. The state pays the insurer directly, so enrolment is the only step for the farmer.
- 3
Report the loss and claim
If the crop is damaged, report it promptly. Assessment follows, and compensation is paid into the registered account.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really pay nothing?
Correct. The West Bengal government pays the entire premium. Bangla Shasya Bima is free to the enrolled farmer.
Does it cover pests and disease, or only weather?
Both. Cover runs from sowing to post-harvest against adverse weather as well as pest and disease attack.
I have not taken a crop loan. Can I still enrol?
Yes. Non-loanee farmers growing a notified crop are eligible, exactly as loanee farmers are.
Facts checked against banglashasyabima.net on 24 July 2026. editorial policy.