Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha, on Friday, said that the district administration and the Lead District Bank have directed all banks in Udupi district to provide crop loans to farmers as a large number have not availed it.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Jagadeesha said the Union government had launched PM-KISAN scheme with a view to provide income support to small and marginal landholding farmer families having cultivable lands.
The scheme aimed to supplement the financial needs of farmers in procuring inputs, ensuring crop health, and appropriate yields commensurate, with the anticipated farm income. Under the scheme, an income support of ₹6,000 per year was provided to families across the country in three equal instalments.
On analysis of PM-KISAN and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) data, the Union government had observed that nearly 9.22 crore farmer families had been registered in PM-KISAN, whereas the total number of live and operative KCCs in the country are 6.76 crore.
The Union government had concluded that the 2.47 crore PM-KISAN beneficiaries did not have KCCs although they may be eligible for crop loans.
To bring these farmers under KCC quickly, a campaign will be launched from February 8 to 24, so that one crore new KCCs are issued by the banks.
In Udupi district, the number of farmers enrolled under PM-KISAN were 1,34,217, whereas the number of crop loans (KCC) financed by banks (nationalised banks, grameen banks, District Central Co-operative banks, and private banks) were just 30,940, which indicated that 1,03,277 farmers had not availed crop loan.
Farmers who had not availed the loan till date could approach their respective bank branches to get the facility. All bank branches in Udupi district had been directed to extend their support to farming community by the way of loan (KCC) to eligible farmers as per extant guidelines, Mr. Jagadeesha said.
Rudresh, Lead District Chief Manager, was present.
