AP Government Asks Banks to Grant Loans for Farmers

Vijayawada: AP finance minister Buggana Rajendranath has advised banks to achieve full targets in granting loans to the various SC and ST applicants and farmers in the state.

The 225th state-level bankers committee (SLBC) meeting was held at the state secretariat in Velagapudi on Thursday under the chairmanship of the finance minister.

Rajendranath said the progress of banks in granting loans for various schemes in the state was evident on a daily basis. "There has been a good growth rate in achieving the goals of the annual credit plan (ACP) of the banks in the last four years."

He appealed to the government to provide loans to the beneficiaries in this sector on a large scale. The government is giving top priority for the development of the dairy sector in the state, especially under the Jagananna Paala Velluva, he said.

Rajendranath banks should grant loans to SC and ST beneficiaries.

It was decided to give loans of Rs 4,000 crore to more than 3 lakh tenant farmers in the state this year. Till now, more than 75,000 tenant farmers have been given the loans.

"Provide large



loans for construction projects especially for TIDCO houses," the minister asked the bankers.

He also asked them to pay special attention in granting education loans. "The progress of banks in MSME sector is better compared to last year," he said.

Union Bank of India executive director Nitish Ranjan said it was commendable the state got national level awards under sustainable development goals.

Convener of SLBC and general manager of UBI Ravindra Babu and special chief secretary to finance department SS Rawat noted that this was the first SLBC meeting in this financial year. Rawat urged banks to provide loans on a large scale to the dairy units.

Also, various private banks have been asked to do their best in granting loans.

Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, special chief secretary to the agriculture department, SLBC coordinator and UBI AGUM  Raju Babu, K Sunitha, chief secretary to textiles department, KVV. Satyanarayana, secretary to the finance department, NABARD CGIM MR Gopal, and officials of various banks attended the meeting.