By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The state-level cooperative banking services and credit workshop on Wednesday launched , where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged farmers to take advantage of the state government’s scheme of interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 lakh in order to participate in the development of agriculture.
“The Cooperative Department is providing farmers with various kinds of assistance and loan is the most important factor in agriculture. A lion’s share of the state’s crop loans are disbursed by cooperative banks. The state government is providing loans up to one Rs 1 lakh for the benefit of the farmers,” said Patnaik adding that “the farmers should take advantage of the scheme”.
Minister for Cooperation, Food Supply and Consumer Welfare departments, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said to make agricultural loans easy and affordable to small and marginal farmers, the state government has made provisions to provide interest-free agricultural loans up to Rs 1 lakh and agricultural loans from one lakh to three lakh rupees at 2 per cent interest. Every farming family should take advantage of this scheme and be financially empowered, Minister Nayak said.
Development Commissioner and Agriculture Production Commissioner Pradeep Jena said “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the state has achieved many feats in the field of agriculture. We have achieved promising results in paddy production, vegetable farming, fish farming, animal husbandry etc,” he added.
Sanjeev Chadha, Principal Secretary, Cooperation Department, said that the computerisation of PACS will be intensified and 1200 new PACS will be formed in the state.
NABARD General Manager Satharanjan Panda said that the cooperative movement started in the state in 1898. Today, the contribution of cooperatives to the economic and social development of 57 lakh farmers is immeasurable. Co-operative banks have become much better today due to the continuous efforts of the state government. He said that NABARD Bank has been closely associated with cooperatives and has played a major role in providing agricultural loans to the farmers of the state.
