Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today underscored the need for closer involvement of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to emerge as the prime mover of economic growth and development in rural areas.
“It is being increasingly felt that there is urgency for the NABARD to rediscover and intensify its role as the prime mover of economic growth and development for speedy welfare of the farming community at ground level. For this, the NABARD will have to get more closely involved with the Agriculture and allied Departments of the State Government”, the Minister said while speaking at 33rd Foundation Day celebration of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) here today.
Elaborating on the role of NABARD, Mir said the organization has been created for providing undivided attention, forceful direction and pointed focus to the credit problems arising out of integrated rural development and now the Institution will have to get more closely involved in agriculture and allied sectors.
He said that State Agriculture and Allied Departments have been consistently motivating, mobilizing and incentivizing the farmers and farm women for adoption of improved methods and processes of agricultural production, protection, post harvest technology and marketing in diverse fields since long. This has, no doubt resulted in emergence of a new crop of progressive farmers, private entrepreneurs, Farmers’ Interest Groups, Farmers’ Producers Organizations, etc. who are now tending to grow as an extended arm of the R&D institutions of the State as well as work as agriculture extension functionaries at the grass root level amongst the fellow farmers.
The Minister, while elaborating further, said that the incentives available under many of the State and Central Schemes for farmers and Development Departments are not enough to fulfil the requirements in time and for this the NABARD has a role.
Seeing much bigger role of NABARD, the Minister said that the State has great expectations from the Institution for promoting sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support, related services, institution development and other innovative initiatives.
Shankar A. Pande, Chief General Manager, NABARD, J&K, Regional Office in his welcome address highlighted the various activities undertaken by NABARD in the state. He stated that in addition to providing refinance to banks and supervision of RRBs and Co-operative Banks, NABARD was undertaking other functions such as credit planning, financing and monitoring of rural infrastructure under RIDF, watershed development, microfinance, financial inclusion, implementation of government sponsored schemes, etc.
K. K. Saraf, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India, in his key note address lauded the role played by NABARD under micro finance, financial inclusion and covering of farmers under Kisan Credit Card scheme. The role played by NABARD for inclusive growth through watershed, financial inclusion, SHG-Bank linkage, village development, credit planning and other related activities was highly appreciable. The function was attended by senior officials from State Government, SBI, PNB, JKGB, EDB, Coop. Banks, other bankers and all the staff members of NABARD, Jammu.
Ranbir Singh, General Manager, NABARD, J&K, Regional Office offered vote of thanks to the participants.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel