Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Nine lakh KCCs distributed to farmers

PATNA: Around nine lakh Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) were distributed among farmers in Bihar in the last financial year through mega Kisan Credit Cards distribution camps. So far 35 lakh farmers have received KCC.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday expressed satisfaction over this and other measures taken by the government while chairing a review meeting attended by agriculture minister Renu Kumari, officials of the departments of agriculture, minor irrigation, food and consumer protection and finance and Nabard and other banks.

Modi has directed the agriculture director to hold mega KCC camps for the Kharif season on June 25 across the state and ensure active participation of block agriculture officers.

He issued directive for expediting the implementation of scheme for rural warehousing by creating at least one rural godown in each block. He directed the officials to get the banks involved in the construction of 55 rural godowns each with 500 mega tonne capacity being set up by the State Food Corporation under a scheme.

He asked the banks to help the farmers in purchasing power tillers. The state government is giving Rs 60,000 grant for purchase of each power tiller. Modi said that the banks should relax their demand for collateral security from four acres of land to one acre of land for extending loans for purchase of power tillers.

Modi informed the bank officials about a new private tubewell scheme under which the government grant would be 45% and bank loan too would be 45% while the farmers concerned would give 10% of the total amount required for it.

Principle finance secretary Navin Kumar, minor irrigation secretary Sudhir Kumar, food secretary Tripurari Sharan, Nabard DG T N Jha and State Level Banking Committee member Arvind Priya were prominent among those attending the meeting.

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