Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, said on Saturday that banks should submit proposals for repayment of interest subsidy for low interest loans, being provided to fishermen and fisherwomen, to the government soon.
He was chairing a meeting on repayment of loan subsidy with bank officials at the taluk panchayat, here.
Mr. Madhwaraj said so far, 5,830 fishermen had taken low interest loans. The interest subsidy of ₹5.55 crore had already been released.
The government was yet to release interest subsidy of ₹3 crore. It is providing loans at 2% interest to fisherwomen, he said. The banks officers should give information regularly regarding loan subsidy repayment to fishermen and fisherwomen. If the information is delayed, those who had taken short term loans might have to pay more interest, he said.
The bank officers said that some persons were taking low interest loans for fishermen by submitting false documents. Intervening, Mr. Madhwaraj said that banks should provide loans only to genuine fishermen.
He directed the banks officers to take the fisherwomen’s self help groups, banks and Department of Fisheries into confidence and get the documents supplied by the loans applicants cross-checked with them.
