Srinagar, May 26: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday that the implementation of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) should prioritise small and marginal farmers.
In a statement issued here, an official spokesman said that while chairing a high-level meeting to review the implementation of agriculture credit schemes of banking and financial institutions for HADP, the LG directed bank officials and administrative officers to ensure seamless coordination at the district level for effective implementation of HADP and 100 percent saturation of benefits under the Kisan Credit Card and other central and J&K government agriculture and allianz schemes.
He also asked bank authorities to designate a Nodal Officer for both the Kashmir and Jammu divisions to oversee cases received by banks under the HADP and other agricultural and related sector initiatives.
“Deputy Commissioners (DCs) should ensure that FPOs are transformed into engines of growth, and districts should compete to write such organisations’ success stories,” Sinha added.
He said that the HADP’s 29 projects costing Rs 5013 crore will have a revolutionary influence on J&K’s farm industry.
The LG also requested important advice from bank officials and urged them to encourage other stakeholders to support the government’s efforts to improve farmers’ access to institutional sources of credit and to enhance the agricultural and associated sectors.
He also evaluated the actions conducted in response to the orders issued at earlier meetings of public sector banks, administrative agencies, and other financial organisations.
Sinha urged bank executives to simplify and streamline the procedures of providing loans and financial support to farmers.
Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, provided a comprehensive briefing on credit extension for scheme execution in agriculture and related sectors.
LG’s Principal Secretary Mandeep Kumar Bhandari and Baldev Prakash, MD and CEO of J&K Bank, were also present at the meeting.
