Govt announces crop loans for landless farmers

The State Government on Friday announced sanction of agriculture loans to landless farmers at a rate of one per cent interest and without any securities.

Food supplies, Consumer Welfare and Cooperation Minister Surjya Narayan Patro said that the loan would be provided to the landless farmers who take up agricultural tasks in other people’s farmlands on sharecropping basis.

“Landless farmers could avail a loan of maximum Rs 50,000 by forming a Joint Liability Group (JLG) of five members. The loan would be provided in line with the provision underway for self help groups (SSGs) operating across the State.

This loan would be provided through various cooperative banks and societies,” informed Patro.

The farmers covered under the new provision would be provided with various farming tools on a lower rent along with a choice to sell off their produces directly to the Government, as per the decision.

The Minister said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed for disbursal of Rs 7,200 crore as loans to farmers in the Kharif season, out of which Rs 200 crore would be earmarked for disbursal to landless farmers under the joint liability groups while Rs 1,000 crore would be spent as term loan for the agriculture sector.