The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Decision on crop loans to tenant farmers soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 26, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Decision on crop loans to tenant farmers soon

Staff Reporter

Issue discussed at meet of bankers committee

HYDERABAD: Minister for Agriculture N. Raghuveera Reddy has expressed confidence that all banks will soon take a policy decision to give crop loans to tenant farmers in the State in accordance with a decision taken by the State-level Bankers Committee.

He told a press conference here on Thursday that Andhra Bank, which headed the committee, had already passed a resolution to this effect at its board meeting and other banks were expected to follow suit within a week.

Outlining the position on crop loans in the State, he said that out of a targeted Rs. 8,650 crores, the State had achieved 68.21 per cent, disbursing loans to the tune of Rs. 5,901 crores as of August 22.

This was about six per cent more than the disbursal during the previous year. On disbursements to first-time loanees, he said that 2,37,874 farmers had been given loans amounting to Rs. 418 crores.

Urea position

The Minister said the Government was taking care to ensure that one lakh tonnes of urea was available over and above the assessed requirement, both for September and October.

There were enough stocks for farmers needing urea in August.

Two ships carrying urea being imported from the Gulf had been diverted to Andhra Pradesh and they would unload stocks at Visakhapatnam in about three or four days Commissioner of Agriculture Poonam Malakondaiah said, adding that they had secured movement orders for the same from the Central Government.

Five committees had been formed with senior officials heading them exclusively to monitor the daily distribution and sale schedule.

Raid on dealer

Mr. Reddy said a raid in the State Capital on Asian Trading Company on today morning had revealed 110 tonnes of unauthorised stock of urea.

It was seized and action was being initiated against the trader.

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