By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 21 Mar: Uttarakhand has been ranked on top in respect of issue of Kisan Credit cards across the country. This scheme is run by the Central Government but the state has performed well in issuing the cards. It is also for the first time that the farmers associated with animal husbandry and fishery activities in Uttarakhand have also become beneficiaries of the scheme. This information was shared with the media by Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Saurabh Bahuguna, today.
Bahuguna reported that the state has got the first position in the country by achieving 77 percent of the total allocated targets. Presently, 79,508 beneficiaries of the state have benefited from this scheme. Bahuguna said that, for the first time, farmers associated with animal husbandry and fisheries have been linked to this scheme. Under this scheme, eligible beneficiaries are provided short term loans to enable them to pursue agriculture activities. Earlier, the Kisan Credit Card was used only for activities related to agriculture, but now, short-term loans are also being provided to the beneficiaries related to animal husbandry and fisheries. Bahuguna reminded that there is no need to mortgage any asset for a short term loan of amount up to Rs 1.60 lakh under the Kisan Credit Card scheme. Only 4 percent annual interest is charged from the farmers on payment of loans by the banks in the prescribed period. Under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme, an ATM card is provided to the cattle rearers to enable them to withdraw money for animal husbandry activities. With the help of the credit card, the animal farmer can easily make arrangements related to the immediate or short term needs related to animal husbandry such as for arrangement of fodder, medicines, treatment and other arrangements for the animals and can be saved from the clutches of the money lenders who charge high interest rates from the farmers. The loan taken through KCC can be repaid in 12 months by way of instalments. The Kisan Credit Card maximum limit can be increased every year after an annual review, Bahuguna informed.