Rs.8,000-crore distributed to 27-lakh accountholders through 8,211 farmers’ co-operative credit societies in Gujarat: Narendra Modi
Ahmedabad, Friday: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said that funds would not be allowed to be a constraint to solve the problems of farmers.Talking with farmers across the state directly through videoconferencing on the occasion of ongoing Krishi Mahotsav-2012, he said that Rs.8,000-crore are disbursed to 27-lakh accountholders of 8,211 farmers’ co-operative credit societies in the state. The amount has been increased by 50 per cent over the year.
Although the Central Government has provided no relief in interest rates to co-operative banks for loan to the farm sector, he said that Gujarat Government has extended loans at seven per cent with two per cent rebate to such banks, incurring an expenditure of Rs.150-crore during the last three years.
Similarly, he said, Gujarat Government has extended five per cent rebate on Rs.20-crore loan extended to 16,000 Sakhi Mandalis for assorted economic activities and three per cent rebate to distressed farmers in the Saurashtra region for starting jewelry.
While the Reserve Bank of India decided to cancel the licences of seven district co-operative banks, Gujarat Government provided a new lease of life to revive all the seven banks by paying Rs.84-crore.
In a first incident of its kind, Gujarat Government has revived the Panchmahals District Central Co-operative Bank to benefit 2.50-lakh tribal farmers. A campaign has been launched to enroll 50,000 adivasi and dalit community people as members of Farmers’ Clubs through 5,700 agricultural co-operative societies.
He pointed out that Gujarat Government has created a fund of Rs.628-crore for the revival of 8,000 co-operative credit societies, but the Centre’s matching Rs.260-crore is yet to come.
The state government has spent Rs.125-crore for modernization of 291 APMCs and 400 bazaar yards. It is now proposed to connect all the market yards through e-Governance, no matter Government of India has failed to create a real-time market price network.
The Chief Minister said that market yards in Gujarat handle 3000-lakh tones of farm produces worth Rs.22,000-crore. The Kisan Kalpvriksh Yojna is to make the market yards stronger, for the ultimate benefit of the farmers.
