New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today emphasised that soil health cards should be printed in the local dialect of the area, so that the farmers are able to read them and that quality of these reports should be ensured. His comments came while reviewing the progress of two key agriculture related schemes - Soil Health Cards and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Reviewing the progress, the PM said that soil health cards should be printed in the local dialect of the area, so that the farmers are able to read and understand them easily. Mr Modi was informed that 16 states/UTs had completed the first cycle of Soil Health Cards distribution, and the remaining states were expected to complete the same within weeks. Reviewing the progress, the PM said appropriate checks should be undertaken for variation, both within a sampling grid, and across different soil testing labs. This would help ensure quality in the reports, he added. Encouraging the rapid adoption of latest technology, the PM said soil testing should eventually be possible through hand-held devices. He urged officials to explore the possibility of involving start-ups and entrepreneurs in this exercise. On Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, he was told that in the kharif season of 2016, and rabi season of 2016-17, claims of more than Rs 7,700 crore had already been paid, and over nine million farmers had benefited. Officials also said the latest technology including smartphones, remote sensing, satellite data and drones are being used for speedy data collection with regard to crop insurance claims. Senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture, NITI Aayog and PMO were present during the review meeting, the Prime Minister's Office said in a release. UNI SD SHK 1422