UP’s special drive to help 2 crore farmers

Lucknow: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Rs 1 lakh crore agriculture infrastructure fund scheme for farmers in view of coronavirus pandemic, the UP government has decided to conduct an exhaustive drive to provide credit-linked coverage to farmers who are proposed to be provided financial aid under the central scheme.
Under the PM Kisan scheme, an amount of Rs 1 lakh crore has been set aside which would be provided to farmers as loan in four years. While Rs 10,000 crore will be made available to farmers as loans between 2020 and 2021, Rs 30,000 crore will be provided in remaining three years.
A subsidy of 3% will also be provided on interest to farmers on loan amounting Rs 2 crore or less up to seven years.
In a communique to all divisional commissioners and district magistrates on August 10, chief secretary RK Tewari said that as against 2.1 crore farmers, only 1.3 crore have credit cards. This way, around 84 lakh farmers are yet to be issued Kisan credit cards through which they can avail financial help to boost their agricultural produce.
The gap is now proposed to be covered and a saturation of farmers having credit cards needs to be reached through an exhaustive drive at the grass roots level. Tewari has directed the revenue, agriculture, Panchayati Raj and rural development departments to organise camps at the gram panchayat level while following Covid prevention protocols.
Under the drive, the state government will reach out to farmers who do not have Kisan credit cards (KCC), get requisite forms filled and submitted in banks from where they will avail the credit. Kisan credit is now also available to farmers engaged in animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries. Tewari has directed officials to get credit limit increased or issue new cards to farmers engaged only in animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries.
The revenue department will also provide land records to banks so that farmers can be issued Kisan credit cards. Officials have also been asked to reach out to banks to get application forms of farmers approved.