December 26, 2024

The Himachal Herald

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HIMACHAL PRADESH RECEIVES ALL TIME HIGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF  ₹ 3349.35 CRORE FROM NABARD

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The Himachal Herald, Shimla

During the year 2020-21, NABARD had extended an all-time high financial assistance of ₹3349.35 crore for the development of agriculture and rural sector in the State of Himachal Pradesh. Addressing a news conference here today, Shri Dinesh Raina, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Himachal Pradesh Regional Office informed that Refinance assistance of ₹2505.99 crore was released to Rural Cooperative Banks and Grameen Bank for providing crop loans and investment credit for creation of agricultural assets by the farmers of the State, which is 56% more than that of last year. He said an amount of ₹663.53 crore, was disbursed to State Government under RIDF for construction of roads, bridges as well as creation of irrigation and drinking water facilities in rural areas in the State.      

In addition, during the year, 04 new FPOs have been formed and an amount of ₹ 1.60 crore have been disbursed to various FPOs. As on 31 March 2021, NABARD has sanctioned 102 FPOs in the State with a total grant support of ₹10.41 crore covering all 12 districts, out of which 90 have been registered. These FPOs have a membership base of around 15,000 farmers and have achieved an annual turnover of ₹27.00 crore, he added. Shri Raina said that a grant assistance of ₹3.98 crore was released under various rural development initiatives like formation and credit linkages of SHGs & JLGs, Capacity Building Programs like MEDP & LEDP etc. An assistance of ₹57 lakh was also extended for Off- Farm development related interventions, he further said. CGM NABARD said that a grant assistance of ₹2.29 crore was extended to all the banks in the State for various financial inclusion and financial literacy awareness programmes like digital financial literacy camps, financial literacy centres and upgradation of technology.

 

He informed that NABARD’s “E-Shakti” program under which SHGs are brought on digital platform to ensure transparency and is now under full implementation in all six districts viz. Mandi, Sirmour, Solan, Kangra, Bilaspur and Chamba districts.

 

Shri Raina said that during the year 2020-21, NABARD has given financial assistance of ₹53 lakh for various innovative farm sector interventions and development projects for transfer of technology for enhancing production and productivity in agriculture and allied sectors.

CGA NABARD further said that during the year, an amount of ₹ 3.01 crore  have been disbursed by NABARD under various  watershed development projects. NABARD has sanctioned eleven new watershed development projects, out of which 06 are integrated watershed projects and remaining 05 are spring-shed projects. These projects are being implemented in Solan, Mandi, Sirmour, Kangra, Chamba and Shimla districts and have contributed to improve soil moisture and ground water level in the catchment area leading to increased production and productivity of crops, he added.Shri Raina said an amount of ₹ 2.62 crore have been disbursed under various tribal development projects in the State.  NABARD sanctioned two new tribal development projects under wadi (orchards) approach in Kinnaur district in 2020-21 covering 409 tribal families of Sangla and Nichar block with a total grant assistance of ₹2.66 crore, to provide a sustainable means of livelihood and to mitigate the migration of the tribal families.

He further added that during the year, an amount of ₹ 4.69 crore have been disbursed toward climate change interventions in the State. He said an amount of ₹ 55 lakh have been disbursed towards Institutional Development Interventions in the State during the year 2020-21. Shri Raina exuded confidence that with the support provided by NABARD for development of agriculture and rural sector in the State, will not only help increasing the GDP but will also help in capital formation in the Agriculture Sector of the State.