‘Clear bottlenecks in getting NABARD loan under PMKSY’

Chhattisgarh Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal on Thursday asked the Centre to solve problems arising in getting NABARD loan under ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).’

He was speaking at a meeting of States irrigation Ministers held at Transport Bhavan in New Delhi.

Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari presided over the meeting. Union Minister of State for water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department Secretary Sonmoni Borah and irrigation ministers of other states were present at the meeting.

The Minister said that a proposal has been sent for acquiring NABARD loan for three irrigation projects – Kelo, Maniyari, Kharang — in Chhattisgarh.

The Union Minister said the amount will be released to the state after discussion of the issue with NABARD. The state minister said that these projects will have to be completed by March 2019. 

Agrawal said that ‘Lakshya Bhagirathi Campaign’ has been launched in Chhattisgarh to expand irrigation facilities in the state. The union minister appreciated the campaign and said that other states should also start such campaigns on its own to increase additional irrigation facilities.

In the meeting, Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department Secretary Sonmoni Borah gave detailed information on irrigation projects in Chhatisgrah and efforts made by the state government to double the income of farmers in the state.

The Centre has set a target under ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana’ to double the income of farmers by year 2022. Under the scheme, 99 pending irrigation projects across the country have to be completed. Completion of these projects will develop new irrigation facilities in more than 80 lakh hectare area. These projects will get Rs 70 thousand crore loan from NABARD. The issue of loan from NABARD for these projects was also discussed in the meeting.   

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is going to provide Rs 4489 crore to Chhattisgarh for development of Agriculture and  infrastructure  in rural areas.

This is 34% more than that which was assisted by the Bank in the previous financial year (2016-17).

This information was provided by NABARD's Chief General Manager of Chhattisgarh Region N.P. Mahapatra in a press conference  in the month of August last year.

He informed that in order to double the financial income of farmers of country the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill raising the NABARD capital 6 times from 5000 crores to 30,000 crore.

Mahapatra further informed that the financial assistance to the Chhattisgarh State in the financial year 2015-16 wasRs 2816 crores and was increased 39% in the year 2016-17 amounting Rs 3928 crores.

Commenting on the rainfall in Chhattisgarh he said the State records 1000 to 1300 mm rainfall in an average and that is good enough for cultivation work. Status of agriculture here is thus satisfactory but work has to be done for better connectivity in the rural region and stop the migration of labour, he said.

He further informed that NABARD has is committed to its motto of Development through credit and is moving ahead for the development of rural area by funding for agriculture, Small and medium scale industries.

The NABARD will provide funding of Rs 1050 crore in the financial year 2017-18 for development of infrastructure under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIFD), he said.

The Bank is funding three major irrigation projects namely Kelo, Kharung and Maniyari Tank Scheme here in Chhattisgarh under the Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF). A MoU has been signed by us with Chhattisgarh government in this regard, he said.