National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman Dr GR Chintala inaugurated a Micro Credit Innovation Department (mCID) workshop-cum-strategy meeting here on Monday, which was attended by officials of NABARD from 15 different States and head office representatives.
Dr Chintala advised the participants to infuse required skills and facilitate more rural entrepreneurs to establish their own businesses and upscale them. He interacted with the women entrepreneurs financed by the Annapurna Finance an NBFC supported by NABARD. He also visited the Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) and addressed the CEOs of Rural District Central Cooperative Banks in the State.
He stressed upon diversification of loan portfolio, enhancement of agriculture term loan and strengthening of the IT infrastructure of the cooperative banks to make them relevant and sustainable on a long-term basis. He also inaugurated a Business Diversification and Product Innovation Cell (BDPIC) established at the Odisha State Cooperative Bank and stressed on increasing the shares of cooperative banks in agricultural lending. State Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari along with the Finance Principal Secretary called on Dr Chintala. They discussed about the status of various financial institutions in the State and the way forward. Later during the day, the NABARD Odisha Regional Office organised a ‘Conclave on Farm Sector Initiatives in Odisha’ wherein Dr Chintala launched various developmental projects benefitting tribal farmers and women SHG members. He handed over sanction letters to the Project Implementing Agencies in tribals-dominated districts of Mayurbhanj and Gajpati.
He also launched a dedicated project on “Production and Market Linkage of Sweet Potato” in Pottangi, Koraput. He dsaid the project would help the farmers to diversify their products as well as tap the market for sweet potato.