The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Banks gearing up for ‘Runa Vimukti Melas’

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Sunday, Jul 06, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Banks gearing up for ‘Runa Vimukti Melas’

Staff Reporter

Over two lakh farmers to benefit

Certificates to be issued to farmers along with Prime Minister’s letter
21 special officers appointed to supervise programmes

Kakinada: The Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (DW & DRS) announced by the Central Government recently, will benefit a total number of 2,49,695 farmers to the tune of Rs.532.73 crore (Rs. 502.77 crore on account of full exemption from repayment and Rs. 29.96 crore as relief to the extent of 25 per cent of loans taken) in East Godavari district.

The District Cooperative Central Bank had disbursed the major chunk of loans amounting to Rs. 310.64 crore, commercial banks lent Rs. 212.59 crore (that includes Rs. 70.51 crore by the State Bank of India) and Chaitanya Godavari Bank Rs. 9.45 crore.

The Agriculture Department and banks are gearing up to organise ‘Runa Vimukti Melas’ / farmers meetings from July 8 to 20 where they will distribute certificates of loan waiver / relief to farmers according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

The farmers’ meetings will be organised in all the 21 Assembly constituencies covering 60 mandals, beginning with Rajahmundry rural mandal on July 8.

Special counters

The process of submitting the lists of beneficiaries by banks to Agriculture Department, opening special counters by banks at the venues suggested by the respective people’s representatives for distributing the certificates and mobilising farmers to attend the said meetings, is on the verge of completion, Collector Gopalakrishna Dwivedi said in a special meeting of the District Consultative Committee (DCC) held at the Court Hall on Saturday.

Mr. Dwivedi said a total of 426 bank branches would undertake the massive exercise of checking the veracity of claims made by farmers and distributing certificates of loan waiver / relief printed in formats prescribed by the RBI along with copies of Prime Minister’s letter addressed to the farmers.

The staff of Agriculture and other departments concerned would help the banks in extending the benefits envisaged under DW & DRS.

Twenty one special officers have been appointed for many Assembly constituencies to supervise the programme. Andhra Bank Deputy General Manager B.S. Rama Rao, Assistant General Managers A. Sethi (RBI), K.V. Satyanarayana (NABARD), Joint Director of Agriculture T. Nandaiah and other district officials were present.

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