Kisan Credit Card (KCC) has proved to be a boon for the farmers of the State. Through KCC, farmers are being provided loans at easy rates for farming. Till the first week of October, Rs 68,516 lakh was sanctioned for the loans of 20,1687 beneficiaries of the State. Along with agriculture, loans are also being provided for fisheries and milk production.
Director Agriculture, Nisha Oraon informed that the farmers are buying seeds, fertilizers and necessary equipment for farming by this loan. With this, not only farmers are getting help in farming, but also they are getting freedom from the clutches of moneylenders. Chief Minister (CM), Hemant Soren has been very sensitive about the farmers. He had directed that more and more farmers of the State should be linked with KCC.
Following the CM’s order, KCC is being provided to the farmers on a war footing. Krishak Mitras, ATMs, BTMs and VLWs are roaming from village to village and getting KCC forms filled by farmers. As a result, a maximum number of KCC applications have been filled. If the bank rejects some applications due to some error, then the employees of the Agriculture Department are also rectifying these applications and re-submitting them to the bank.
It can be understood through examples how KCC has proved to be helpful for farmers of Jharkhand.
Anu Oraon is a resident of Kumharia village located in Kanke's Pithoria. He says that the big problem of farmers is to raise capital for farming, due to lack of capital, they are not able to buy fertilizers, seeds and others on time. He got information from the Block office about KCC after which applied for it. He used the loan for drip irrigation and other farming works. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and cabbage were planted in two and a half acres. After deducting all the expenses, there is a savings of up to Rs 1.5 lakh. He said that the biggest advantage of KCC is that one can get a loan as per requirements at very low interest rates.
Prakash Bhagat is a resident of Chundri Nawantoli village located in Ghaghra block of Gumla district. His village head informed him about KCC. He said that earlier one had to take a loan from moneylenders for farming, but due to KCC he got freedom from the clutches of moneylenders. He had taken a loan of Rs 46,000 from KCC. He used it in the cultivation of wheat and mustard. Prakash says that after deducting all the expenses, he made a profit of Rs. 40,000. They have cleared their KCC loan and are now preparing for wheat cultivation.
Naresh Mahto, a resident of Manho Siladon village of Khunti got information about KCC only a month ago after that he applied for it. Mahto got a loan of Rs 50,000. He has about five acres of land for agriculture, however, some of this land cannot be cultivated. He has cultivated potatoes on 40 decimals of land.
