Bankers support needed for Navaratnalu: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Amaravati: For successful implementation of the Navaratnalu, the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy sought the bank's cooperation, during the State Level Bankers Committee meeting here at Secretariat on Tuesday. This is the 209th SLBC meeting.

Speaking on this occasion, the CM informed that, "Over Rs, 15,000 crores were transferred to the accounts of farmers, auto and taxi drivers, fishermen, weavers, Agrigold victims and to the beneficiaries of Law Nestham Scheme so far. Rs 6,500 crores will be transferred as part of Amma Vodi programme this month".

The Rythu Bharosa is aimed at uplift of farmers, who constitute more than 60 per cent of the population of the state, explained Jagan.

SLBC records suggested that not much was being done for the uplift of lessee farmers. Hence the state government has brought about an Act for them which enables them to utilize irrigation facilities for 11 months. The bankers will have to take a step forward in helping the lessee farmers, the Chief Minister said.

Rythu Bharosa centres are being set up near the village secretariats to create awareness among the farmers. The government was giving guarantee to the centres for providing quality seeds, pesticides and fertilizer. The centres would also train farmers about modern techniques of farming. Similarly, they would act as purchase centres for the farmers produce. The Rythu Bharosa centres would be digitized with Internet facility. Hence the bankers and the government have to coordinate in providing loans to the lessee farmers, the Chief Minister said.

He said the banks should come to the aid of small-scale and medium industries and efforts should be made to revitalize accounts under the YSR Navodaya scheme. Efforts will have to be made to utilize Pradhanmantri Mudra Yojana under which the state stood in the 12th position, the Chief Minister said.

Petty traders should give a loan of Rs 10,000 each with identity cards through which 12 lakh traders would be benefited, he said. The Chief Minister also asked the bankers to lay stress on providing loans to self-help groups. He said interest-free loans were being given to women's groups and farmers and the bankers will have to consider them on humanitarian grounds.

Subrata Das, RBI Regional Director, said, "AP stood at first place in the country under Credit-Deposit ratio and the banks have performed well this year. For the primary sector, loans sanction has been done pretty well and also in almost all fields the targets have been achieved.

NABARD chief general manager Selvaraj said that state government officials have informed about that different banks are giving different interest rates in loans for SHGs and added that banks should be rationalized while giving loans to SHGs. He also said that banks should show a concentration on horticulture, fisheries and animal husbandry sectors where a low amount of loans were given.

Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath observed that coordination between bankers and industries would strengthen YSR Navodayam scheme.

Deputy Chief Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose asked the bankers to cooperate with tenant farmers, small and minimum enterprises as there were facing problems from bankers.