The Orissa government has disbursed Rs 1800 crore agricultural loans through the cooperative sector in this year's kharif season and has set a target of Rs 1300 crore for the rabi season.
"During this kharif season, the state government has disbursed loans worth Rs 1800 crore in the cooperative sector compared to Rs 1407 crore in the same agricultures season of the last year. We have set a loan target of Rs 1300 crore for this year's rabi season”, said Damodar Rout, the state minister for agriculture and cooperation.
He stated that the cooperation department has slashed the interest rate on cooperative loans from five per cent to three per cent for the benefit of the farmers.
Out of a total of 52.89 lakh agriculture families of the state, 47.56 families have become members of the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS). The PACS have issued 37.47 lakh Kisan Credit Cards (KCC).
Rout said, only around 15 lakh families are availing loans from cooperatives and to include the remaining families, the department plans to kick off a state wide awareness campaign called 'Cooperatives at Your Doorstep'.
The campaign would ascertain as to why all the farmers are not availing the credit facilities despite the low interest rate of cooperative loans.This campaign which will run from November 1 to December 15, seeks to establish direct contact with all agricultural families. This campaign will be launched by the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
During this campaign, the employees of the cooperation department, cooperative banks and PACs will meet all the agricultural families and sensitize them on the programmes of the government for the farmers and the schemes implemented by the cooperative banks.
Besides, the non-members of PACS will be enrolled as members and KCCs will be issued. No frills accounts will be opened at the PACS level to facilitate payment of the paddy procurement proceeds by credit to the farmers' account.