Rythu Bima Scheme
A ₹5 lakh life insurance cover for registered farmers aged 18–59 — the state pays the premium, it covers any cause of death, and the nominee is paid without having to apply.
Run by: Department of Agriculture, Government of Telangana (through LIC of India)
- Cover
- ₹5 lakh, any cause of death
- Premium
- Paid by the state to LIC
- Age
- 18 to 59 years
- Claim
- Filed for you; ~1–2 weeks to the nominee
- Running since
- 15 August 2018
Overview
Rythu Bima is life insurance, not accident cover — it pays on the death of the insured farmer from any cause, natural or accidental. That distinction matters: it is one of the very few schemes that protects the family against the ordinary death of the breadwinner, not just a farm accident. Telangana launched it on 15 August 2018 alongside Rythu Bandhu, and it is run as a group policy through LIC, with the state paying the premium so the farmer pays nothing.
The cover is ₹5 lakh, and its design is built around speed and reaching the family without paperwork. On a death, the village Agricultural Extension Officer picks up the information from the revenue records, and the claim is filed with LIC on the nominee's behalf — the family does not have to approach any office. The ₹5 lakh is remitted to the nominee's account within roughly one to two weeks of death.
It runs off the Pattadar Passbook and covers farmers aged 18 to 59. The policy year runs August to August, with an enrolment window each year (recent cut-offs around mid-August) for adding new members and updating nominees. By FY 2024-25 about 47.87 lakh farmers were enrolled, including 2.74 lakh new entrants added in August 2024. Tenant farmers who meet the other criteria are eligible; the state has pressed LIC to raise the 59-year age ceiling, which has not been agreed.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- ₹5 lakh to the nominee on the death of the registered farmer, from any cause — not only accidents.
- No premium at all — the state pays it to LIC.
- The nominee does not apply — the village Agricultural Extension Officer files the claim from the revenue records.
- The ₹5 lakh reaches the nominee's account within about one to two weeks of death.
- Enrolment runs off the Pattadar Passbook, so there is no separate policy to buy — only the yearly window to add new members or change a nominee.
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
- Owner or eligible tenant of agricultural land in Telangana
- Aged between 18 and 59 years
- Name registered in the Pattadar Passbook / the scheme member list
- A named nominee and a bank account for the claim
Not covered
- Farmers outside the 18–59 age band
- Those not on the Pattadar Passbook / scheme member list for that policy year
- Members added after the annual enrolment window has closed (they come in the next year)
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Pattadar Passbook
- Aadhaar card
- Nominee details
- Bank account details of the nominee
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Get onto the member list for the policy year
Enrolment is off the land record. During the yearly window (around August), make sure your details and nominee are on the Rythu Bima member list.
- 2
Register and keep the nominee updated
Name the nominee who should receive the ₹5 lakh, and update it after any change in the family, so there is no dispute or delay when a claim arises.
- 3
On a death, the claim is filed for the family
The village Agricultural Extension Officer takes the death information from the revenue records and files with LIC; the ₹5 lakh is remitted to the nominee within about one to two weeks.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- If a claim is not filed or not settled, or a name or nominee is missing from the member list, take it up with the Agricultural Extension Officer and the Mandal Agriculture Officer, then the District Agriculture Officer, and with the local LIC branch handling Rythu Bima. Keep the Pattadar Passbook, the death certificate and the nominee's bank details.
- Beyond the department, lodge it on Telangana's Prajavani portal at prajavani.cgg.gov.in, or take the petition in person to Mahatma Jyothiba Phule Praja Bhavan on a Tuesday or Friday and keep the reference ID.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rythu Bima only pay for accidental death?
No. It is life insurance — it pays ₹5 lakh on the death of the registered farmer from any cause, natural or accidental.
What premium do I pay?
None. The state pays the premium to LIC on your behalf. The cover is free to the enrolled farmer.
Does the family have to apply for the claim?
No. The village Agricultural Extension Officer picks up the death from the revenue records and files the claim with LIC for the nominee. The ₹5 lakh reaches the nominee in about one to two weeks.
Can a tenant farmer be covered?
A tenant who meets the other criteria — age 18–59, on the scheme member list — is eligible. The cover is not limited to landowners.
I turned 60. Am I still covered?
No. The upper age is 59. The state has asked LIC to raise it, but that has not been agreed, so a farmer drops out of the cover at 60.
Is this the same as Rythu Bharosa?
No. Rythu Bharosa is the ₹12,000-per-acre investment support. Rythu Bima is the ₹5 lakh life cover. They are separate Telangana schemes.
Facts checked against rythubima.telangana.gov.in on 20 October 2026. editorial policy.