NABARD launches awareness and training programmes to fulfill PM's dream for farmers

A Correspondent

JORHAT: To fulfill the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Bank for Agriculture Rural Development (NABARD) had launched a series of awareness and training programmes in the district of Majuli and Jorhat, which is identified for the region of several agricultural crops both karif, rabi etc, to bring out the farmers to join the main stream and to show them the path how to get the benefits under various government schemes. So in collaboration with the Madhapur and Ikaroni gaon panchayats, block fisheries development committee under Titabor Development Block under Jorhat district, a joint awareness programme on schemes was held at Titabor in both the panchayat offices here recently, said the incharge of Majuli and Jorhat - District Development Officer, NABARD on Friday.

NABARD-DDM said that the programme was attended by banks officials from AGVB from Madhapur, Nagabat both under Titabor sub-division - Ranjit Borchetia, Pulin Hazarika, Madhapur Gaon Panchayat president Priyanka Phukan, Titabor Block Fisheries Development Committee Secretary Chaitanya Dev Saikia, Rajabahar GP Fish Farmers Secretary Chandra Sonowal, panchayat members, cultivators, SHG members, fish and animal husbandry farmers, local leaders and above 100 unemployed youths.

Moreover, the issues explained were the role of NABARD and the facility of various schemes like the KCC scheme that started since 1998 for meeting the credit needs of the farmers in hassle free manner were like the viz., Kisan Credit Card scheme, Assam Farmers’ Incentive Scheme (AFIS), Assam Farmers Interest Relief Scheme (AFIRS), subsidy schemes for Dairy Entrepreneurship Development, National Livestock Mission for Piggery, Goatery, Poultry, procedure for application of loans, importance of timely repayment and regularizing Non-Performing Accounts (NPA) and overdue accounts, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Governmnet of Assam support for insurance premium upto 1 hectare/7.5 bigha, newly introduced Working Capital KCC for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, RBI norms for collateral/margin free loans upto Rs. 1.60 lakh for agriculture which includes animal husbandry activities, said the DDM NABARD.

The discussion laid emphasis on how to collaborate and work closely for meeting the credit needs of the rural people and create maximum awareness among farmers, how they could get the benefits without the interference from middlemen and brokers which is high among rural masses, with a new thrust to the Goan Panchayat office, Fisheries Development Committee will identify prospective borrowers for dairy, goatery, fisheries, KCC and support the banks in monitoring and recovery of loans along with banks who would make efforts for timely sanction and disseminate information on PMFBY scheme. NABARD, in consultation with line departments and district administration, will provide customized model projects for various schemes and circulate among the banks and other stakeholders so that beneficiaries seeking loans from banks need not run from pillar to post for preparing projects. Jorhat district NABARD DDM further said that the Bank decided to conduct a series of awareness programme for the first time in the most healthiest region in upper Assam zone, which will fulfill the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji to double the farmers income, thus gving a thrust to aware the farmers to take the guidance from them and others as several hundred hectors of agricultural land was was lying without any fruitful outcome.

Also read: Development In Northeast Led To Decline In Terrorism: Amit Shah

Also watch: Government takes step for Assamese film and cinema halls’ improvement