The state government has already disbursed about `308 crore as crop loans to farmers against a target of Rs 4,000 crores fixed for the 2012 — 13 fiscal year, state cooperative minister Sellur K. Raju said.
This crop loan will be free of interest to those farmers who repay the loans promptly. About Rs 160 crore has been set apart for the interest incentive in the state Budget.
Mr. Raju directed the cooperative department officials to identify more beneficiaries and help achieve the target of distributing Rs 4,000 crore as loans this fiscal. “The aim is to ensure that the farmers benefit,” he added.
Financial assistance is also being given to start agriculture related ventures like dairy farms, goat rearing, etc.
He said the functioning of the 23 District Central Cooperative (DCC) Banks would be fine tuned to extend better services to the public.
Pointing out that loans were also being given to the public in urban areas, the minister said officials have been told to expedite the measures to modernise about 78 branches of the DCC banks across the state in addition to 22 branches in the urban areas.
It has also been proposed to establish 27 new branches of the DCC banks soon, the minister added