Relief measures for farmers by July 25, pledge Andhra banks

All the banks in Andhra Pradesh, including co-operative banks and regional rural banks (RRBs), are committed to ensure that all the relief measures for farmers would be implemented by July 25.

The measures consist of rescheduling of crop loans and funding of interest for all farmers who have availed of loans in the notified drought-affected areas in the state.

A task force committee comprising representatives from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Bank (Apcob) and banks had been constituted to visit the drought-affected areas and monitor the implementation of relief measures. An Andhra Bank general manager will head the task force committee.

The steering committee meeting of the State-level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) which met here under the chairmanship of Andhra Bank chairman and managing director T S Narayanasami announced the bankers' decision to come to the rescue of distressed farmers in the state.

The committee decided that the banks would give extensive publicity to the package of relief measures as also the eligibility norms of farmers for drawing fresh loans.

All the banks operating in the state would ensure that their respective rural/semi-urban branches extend at least 100 new agricultural loans each during the current financial year.

Similarly, the rural and semi-urban branches of all the banks would extend finance for at least two to three investment projects/activities in due co-ordination with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) and the state government. Nabard had already specified the types of investment activities that could be taken up by the farmers, the SLBC meeting observed.

The steering committee of SLBC also called upon the banks to seek any support required for rendering financial assistance at the meetings to be convened shortly in the districts.

The banks also should extend assistance for setting up agri clinics. The state agriculture department had already furnished a list of trained candidates who may be approached and assisted for setting up agri clinics.

The lead district managers should co-ordinate with the agriculture department in identifying the farmers who had not availed of any financial assistance from the banks so far.

They should also conduct joint mandal-level committee meetings at monthly intervals and the progress would be reviewed by the task force committee, the SLBC meeting said.