Extend timely crop loans in kharif, bankers told

​Medchal:  District Collector Dr MV Reddy said that the onus on providing credit to farmers rests squarely with the bankers. 

He asked the bankers to ensure that loans were given to farmers in time so as to enable them to purchase seeds and other farm equipment during the current kharif. He was reviewing the Kharif action plan and bank loans to farmers with bankers at collectorate on Tuesday. 

He expressed his impatience over some banks not meeting the targets in extending crop loans to farmers while reviewing the mandal-wise progress of banks extending crop loans during 2017-18.  He threatened to initiate disciplinary action against those banks failed to live up to the targets for extending crop loans to farmers. 

He asked the bankers to extend crop loans to farmers in right time depending on the nature crops raised. Asking them not only to think on commercial lines, he advised the bankers to support the government in ensuring the government schemes reach the public. 

He advised them to pay special attention to meet the targets fixed for 2018-19 in extending crop loans. He wanted the Agriculture Department officials to sensitise farmers on the crop insurance facility provided to maize and paddy crops.  Further, he wanted the officials to sensitise farmers to raise crops keeping in mind the market needs. 

He wanted the officials to keep strict vigil on the sellers of fake seeds and fertilisers. He directed the lead bank manager in the district to take appropriate steps to reach the target fixed at the state-level bankers’ committee meeting for 2018-19. He appreciated the bankers’ role in helping farmers in encashing cheques given to them under the Rythu Bandhu scheme. 

Lead Bank Manager Bhujanga Rao, district agriculture officer Ajay Ghosh, DRDO Kautilya, DCO Srinivas, agriculture director Sobha, assistant director horticulture Sattar, bank controllers and others took part in the review meeting.