New Delhi, April 16 (PTI): Confronted with incidents of farmer suicides due to drought and other factors, government will soon introduce a comprehensive weather-based crop specific insurance scheme in Maharashtra and a few other states.

Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) would come out with a scheme during the coming Kharif season in June in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Karnataka to provide better cover to farmers for crop failures.

"The weather-based crop specific insurance scheme will be introduced on a pilot basis," AIC CMD M Parshad said here.

The insurance scheme was proposed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the 2007-08 Budget.

According to a senior AIC official, quick relief to farmers through the insurance policy would mitigate their woes to a great extent.

Replying to a query, he said fast processing and timely settlement under the scheme would prevent farmer suicides to some extent, which are largely caused due to "price loss and crop loss".

In Budget 2007-08, Rs 100 crore has been allocated as subsidy for the scheme, intended as an alternative to the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS).

AIC has also taken over the implementation of NAIS, which until 2002-03 was implemented by General Insurance Corporation of India.

NAIS is an area-based yield guarantee insurance scheme, which requires sample surveys technically called "Crop Cutting Experiments" to assess how the scheme has fared. Besides, farmers could enter the scheme even after the commencement of the season.

'Lalpari' is not greatly relished in Pakistan, but is considered a delicacy in India. This fish does not have much bones and, hence, are also used as fillet in sandwiches or buns. The price it fetches here is quite high.

The reason why the fishermen cross the maritime boundary could be many. In some cases, it could be just because of strong tidal currents, high winds, lack of navigation equipment and sometimes due to engine failure.

In many cases, when there are violations, the boats are seized and crew and fishermen fined and released. But on several occasions they land up in jails.

Despite the existence of so much risk while fishing in the sea near the Pakistani maritime boundary, several Indian fishermen venture in these areas. This is because the inducement is very great.

The Coast Guard DIG said, "The boat owners induce the fishermen to venture out in those areas by cash and kind because of the high market value of the fish.

"The inducements include a large amount of cash, motorcycle or sometimes even old fishing boats. For the poor fishermen, such offers are difficult to resist and as a result they take the risk of catching this fish in the maritime border between India and Pakistan, he said.

Both countries from time to time have been releasing captured fishermen as part of confidence building measures.

As per Gujarat government figures, about 1,400 Indian fishermen have been released by Pakistan between January 2005 and 2007 and several others are still languishing in Pakistani jails.