Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

NABARD disburses Rs.6000 crores for rural infrastructure

Staff Reporter

Assistance successfully used in social sector too Assistance has been successfully used to provide infrastructure in social sector too

MADURAI: The assistance provided by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) has been successfully used for the first time to provide infrastructure in the social sector too.

"The RIDF was so successfully integrated that the authorities in Tamil Nadu were able to utilise it to improve facilities at schools, hospitals, transmission of electricity and even refurbish drinking water schemes," said J. T. Chethalan, Deputy General Manger of NABARD.

Mr. Chethalan who was in the Temple City on Wednesday, said only in Tamil Nadu the RIDF was used to improve services in the social sector.

The NABARD had disbursed a whopping Rs.6000 crores out of an earmarked sum of Rs.8000 crores to facilitate provision of rural infrastructure in Tamil Nadu.

Philippines designers

The NABARD embarked on the process of assisting Indian craftsmen market their products oversees.

To facilitate this, it has sought the support of Philippines designers to identify and train master craftsmen.

The DGM said currently efforts were on to bring Philippines designers to India soon to identify and train Indian craftsmen, in diverse fields, on the pulse of global market so as to make the craftsmen become competent to market their products in world arena.

Meanwhile, the NABARD proposed to promote a cluster involved in the manufacture of sungudi sarees in Madurai and they would be provided an assistance of Rs.25 lakhs over a period of three years.

Besides, the members of the cluster would be provided training in skill upgradation, according to Srinivasan, Assistant General Manager of NABARD.

Mr. Chethalan said the cluster formed for woodcarving in Villupuram, banana in Tiruchi, papier-mâché in Kancheepuram, coconut products in Kanyakumari district and ceramics in Cuddalore were doing well.

The NABARD had formed 700 farmers' clubs across the State and these were being provided training on how to grow crops that required less water, changes in cropping pattern, organic farming, rainwater harvesting, agro processing and value addition. These clubs would be encouraged to take up medicinal plant cultivation.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

SHGs unveil their social face Social face of women SHGs
NABARD disburses Rs.6000 crores for rural infrastructure
Bench reserves order in Kiruttinan case
Provide aid to SHGs, banks told
`Major fraud' in drinking water supply unearthed
Case will be filed against inspector: PP
Bar to boycott anniversary fete
Entrepreneurship training programme for youths
Drenched... still determined
Around the City
In Madurai Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu