To achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious plan of doubling revenue of farmers, there was a dire need for sensitising farmers on value addition to their crops and other revenue alternatives for their produce, Member of Parliament of Haveri Shivakumar Udasi has said.
Chairing a district-level review committee meeting of the Lead Bank for 2020-21 at the Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Gadag on Tuesday, he addressed the participants after releasing the credit plan for the year.
Mr. Udasi said that to ensure better prices for farm produce and for making profit, officials of banks and the departments of Agriculture and Horticulture should join hands to hold workshops for farmers. Mr. Udasi asked General Manager of NABARD Raman Jagadisan to take up the initiative in this regard.
Mr. Udasi asked the officials to consider the local requirements and opportunities while preparing the credit plan for the year. He said that focus should be more on productive sectors and those that get more revenue for the target groups.
He also sought details from officials on the number of MSME units that had been established in the district in the last five years and a status report on these units.
Lead Bank Manager Murali Nayak said that Nargund, Ron and Shirahatti taluks of Gadag district were on the list of 103 taluks that were affected severely by floods. Respective bank officials should take steps to readjust the existing loans before November 15 and also to disburse new loans to beneficiaries, he said.
General Manager of Reserve Bank of India N. Nagaraj gave strict instructions to bank officials not to adjust funds being credited to bank accounts of farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojna with either bank loans or any pending dues.
CEO of Gadag Zilla Panchayat Anand K. and Regional Manager of State Bank of India S.L. Nayak and various officials were present.
A total credit outlay of ₹ 3,247.25 crore has been fixed for the district under the credit plan of 2020-21. Out of this, 84.54 % has been earmarked for agriculture, 5.5 % for MSME sector, 5.48 % for education and 3.97 % for housing.
