Team News Riveting
Raipur, April 8
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has provided financial assistance of Rs 12,897 crore to Chhattisgarh during the financial year 2020-21.
The aid is about 63 per cent higher than the previous financial year. The agency had provided an assistance of Rs 7,888 crore during 2019-20.
“During 2020-21, NABARD sanctioned RIDF loan to the tune of Rs 1,432 crore to the Government of Chhattisgarh for improving rural connectivity, irrigation facilities, solar electrification and health care facilities for Covid-19 treatment, etc,” Dr. D Ravindra, Chief General Manager of NABARD Chhattisgarh said.
Of the total RIDF assistance sanctioned, Rs 854 crore shall be used for setting up of 40,000 solar powered pumps under ‘Saur Sujala’ and “PM-KUSUM” Schemes. This will create additional irrigation potential of approximately 80,000 ha. in the state, Dr Ravindra said, adding that RIDF assistance of Rs 237.21 crore is aimed at developing 239 rural road projects under ‘Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’ for connecting rural hamlets to all weather roads. For improving Covid-19 treatment facilities in 28 district hospitals, RIDF assistance of Rs.138 crore has been sanctioned for creation of infrastructure like new Isolation Wards, Truenat Laboratories, Ambulances, Oxygen Generation Plants, etc.
NABARD contributed to the paddy procurement programme of the Govt. of Chhattisgarh by providing financial assistance of Rs.7,000 crore to CGMARKFED for procurement of paddy during the Kharif marketing season 2020-21. It provided financial assistance of Rs 792.44 crore to Chhattisgarh Rural Housing Corporation Limited for construction of rural houses under PMAY-G.
During 2020-21, NABARD disbursed a sum of Rs 3,164 crore to Cooperative Banks and CRGB as short-term refinance assistance for supporting seasonal agriculture operations. In addition, long-term refinance of Rs.833 crore was also provided to various banks towards agricultural investment activities like dairy, poultry, fishery, farm mechanisation, irrigation, non-farm sectors, etc.
Under Phase IV of its flagship programme “EShakti,” Books of Accounts of 23,827 SHGs in four districts of Bastar, Dantewada, Raigarh and Kanker were digitised by NABARD. Besides, it also conducted 161 capacity building programmes and 645 Village level programmes for credit intensification of SHGs were conducted during 2020-21. Twenty Micro Enterprise Development programmes and five Livelihood Entrepreneurship Development programmes to encourage livelihood activities among 1,350 SHG members of the State have been sanctioned by NABARD. With a view to providing institutional credit to small and marginal farmers, sharecroppers, landless farmers, oral lessee farmers, etc. NABARD sanctioned a project for financing 3,500 JLGs in Chhattisgarh through NABFINS.
NABARD had also sanctioned a sum of Rs.93.66 lakh for development of various off-farm activities in the State. This includes establishment of two rural marts in Korba and Balodabazar districts and also three rural ‘haats’ in Mahasamund , Bilaspur and Balodabazar districts. Six skill development proposals have been sanctioned to BALCO, Korba and AIFA, Raipur for skill development of 180 rural participants. 200 Sanitation Literacy Camps were conducted across 28 districts of Chhattisgarh.
Under its cluster development programme, NABARD sanctioned the establishment of an off farm producer organisation in Bastar district on Tuma, Dokra and Bell Metal crafts. This is expected to benefit more than 500 rural artisans of the region.
NABARD sanctioned a sum of Rs.9.72 crore to various banks to promote digital banking in the State. Eight mobile vans were sanctioned to Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank (CRGB) for demonstration of banking technologies. Similarly grant assistance were sanctioned to various Banks for procurement of 875 Micro ATMs.
With the objective of providing sustainable livelihoods to the tribal families in the state, NABARD is implementing the ‘WADI’ programme under its Tribal Development Fund (TDF). So far, 84 such projects were sanctioned by NABARD covering 21 districts of the State benefitting about 55,163 tribal families. Cumulative grant assistance of Rs. 220.71 crore under the said programme has been sanctioned by NABARD.
67 Watershed Projects were sanctioned by NABARD in 19 districts of the state with a treatment area of 51,560 hectares and covering 25,565 rural households. NABARD has sanctioned a cumulative grant assistance of Rs. 51.71 crore towards soil and water conservation and other interventions in these watershed areas.
The Central Sector Scheme of Govt. of India for formation and promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) is being implemented in the country. NABARD is implementing this scheme across 20 blocks of 11 districts of the state.
Statutory Inspection of all Rural Financial Institutions was also undertaken by NABARD during the year 2020-21.
