OdishaPlus Bureau
The Centre has advised the State Government to prepare a list of all PM-KISAN beneficiaries not having Kisan Credit Card (KCC).
In order to enable universal access to concessional institutional credit, the Union Government has initiated a drive in mission mode from February 10 for saturating all PM-KISAN beneficiaries with KCC.
The drive will be carried for a period of 15 days, said an official. A senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation said this will help all such farmers to get short term loans for crop & animal/fish rearing at a maximum interest of 4 percent on timely repayment.
Detailed instructions in this regard have been issued to all the state governments, Managing Directors of all the Banks and Chairman NABARD, detailing the procedure to be followed.
The farmers will be approached through line departments of the State Government, including Departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Panchayat & Rural Development, and Panchayat Secretaries, he said.
Bank Sakhis under the NRLM scheme would also be used for motivating PM KISAN beneficiaries to visit the concerned bank branches for the purpose, he added.
As the KCC, along with the benefit of interest subvention, has now been extended to animal husbandry and fisheries farmers also, state governments have been requested to focus on such farmers and facilitate sanction of additional credit limit/issue fresh KCC to them.
All Banks have been advised to have separate counters for handling such applications and ensure issue of fresh KCC/ enhancement of the existing KCC limit/ activation of inoperative KCC account within the shortest possible time not exceeding 14 days from date of submission of application, the official said.
Progress of this drive will be monitored on a daily basis by the State/UT Governments and the activities under saturation drive in a district led by the District Collector with the full support of the Lead District Manager and DDM NABARD.
In addition to the KCC, with a view to providing social security to the PM KISAN beneficiaries, eligible farmers will also be enrolled for the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY) after obtaining their consent.
These schemes provide accident insurance and life insurance, at a premium of Rs.12 and Rs.330 respectively for an insured value of Rs.2 lakh in each case.
