Gohil raised the issue while addressing a press conference at the Gujarat Congress headquarters. (File image)Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha member Shaktisinh Gohil on Tuesday demanded that the Gujarat government immediately implement the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the state.He also sought to know why the government “deprived” farmers in the state of the benefits of the crop insurance scheme, “which has immensely benefited farmers in other states, since 2019-20”.Gohil raised the issue while addressing a press conference at the Gujarat Congress headquarters here.A press statement released by Gohil’s office stated that the Union agriculture minister wrote to the Gujarat government stating that the latter had discontinued PMFBY since 2019-20, because of which farmers of the state have not received any benefit from the central government in the event of natural calamities.In the release, Gohil was quoted as saying, “The Union cabinet agriculture minister wrote to the Gujarat chief minister on November 25, 2025, and informed that almost all the states of India are taking advantage of PMFBY. During unseasonal rain, natural calamities, and floods, farmers get a lot of benefits from this insurance (cover), and therefore the Gujarat government should immediately start the insurance scheme. However, even today, this scheme has not started in Gujarat.”The release added, “Had the Gujarat government accepted the scheme then, the farmers, who sustained losses of crores of rupees last year, could have received full compensation. Since the scheme was not available (in Gujarat), against heavy losses, farmers got an insignificant amount for limited hectares from the Gujarat government, which was not equivalent to the expenses incurred on seeds and sowing.”Gohil demanded an apology from the government and sought total compensation for farmers for the losses they incurred last year.Story continues below this ad“As the rains are delayed and there is a possibility of farmers sustaining losses owing to the El Niño effect, the Centre’s PMFBY must be immediately implemented in Gujarat,” Gohil demanded.PMFBY was launched in 2016. Gujarat implemented the central scheme till 2019-20.