The Hindu : National : Rs.700-crore package for bird flu-hit families

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Rs.700-crore package for bird flu-hit families

Special Correspondent

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Saturday announced a Rs 700 crore package for helping the seven lakh families affected by the bird flu virus, which raged through the State for nearly a month since mid-January.

State finance minister Dr. Asim Dasgupta, who held a meeting with officials of the Reserve Bank of India, the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) and commercial banks including rural banks, said a special package has been worked out for families below the poverty line (BPL).

He said an outright grant of Rs 100 crore would be given to make up for the loss of trade during the period of the avian flu as well as for the three-month ban imposed on the poultry industry in the affected areas.

The total loss has been estimated at Rs 500 crore. Altogether 37 lakh chickens were killed in the 15 affected districts.

Pointing out that it was the joint responsibility of the Centre and the State to control the menace as well as its impact on the livelihoods of people who were linked with the trade, Dr. Dasgupta said that the Centre would be urged to help the State in this respect.

Soft loans

He said banks would give as soft loans Rs 600 crore to the families below and above the poverty line (APL).

While the existing loans would be restructured with lowering of interest rates, new loans would be given only at four per cent rate of interest for BPL families. For APL families it would be seven per cent.

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

National