The Tamil Nadu government is planning to launch a scheme to revive ‘kudi maramath’ so that the management of the irrigation and water storage structures are taken up by people at the village level as a mass movement.
According to K. Shanmugam, Secretary, Finance Department, the age-old practice of ‘kudi maramath’ (community participation) is not visible anywhere now. “The State government is making all efforts to revive the irrigation structures to restore its original capacity. NABARD is helping us in a big way,” he said while delivering his keynote address at the 35{+t}{+h}foundation day celebrations of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
The Finance Secretary also said that NABARD would be giving additional credit limit for crop production this year to tide over any liquidity crunch of the cooperative banks for timely extension of credit to small and marginal farmers in the State covered under the Debt Waiver Scheme.
He further said that data is being collated for the loan waiver scheme for small and marginal farmers was announced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. “The first phase of loan waiver will happen this year,” he said.
Gagandeep Singh Beedi, Agricultural Secretary, said that the State was able to tap inland fisheries through funding assistance given by NABARD. “Inland fisheries have increased four-fold in the last few years. This was earlier a neglected sector,” he said.
Governor K. Rosaiah gave away the awards to farmer clubs that have made a difference in the agriculture sector. He lauded NABARD for bringing together technology and credit through farmers clubs in Tamil Nadu. As on March 31, 2016, Tamil Nadu has over 8,190 farmers clubs. S. Nagoor Ali Jinnah, Chief General Manager, NABARD, said that NABARD would extend support to the State government in areas like renovation of system irrigation tanks (kudimaramath) in all 17 river basins of Tamil Nadu and introduction of e-markets.
NABARD intends to extend financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 16,000 crore in 2016-17 for the proposed initiatives.
