The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Chhattisgarh Regional Office celebrated its 36th Foundation day of NABARD on Wednesday by inviting their Stake holders and beneficiaries.
The year also coincides with the completion of 25 years of the Self Help Group movement. To commemorate this achievement and to celebrate
25 years of the SHG Bank linkage Programme, NABARD is dedicating its 36th Foundation day to the India’s home grown SHG movement, a NABARD press release informed.
On this occasion the chief guest State Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal lauded the role played by Chhattisgarh Regional Office of NABARD in the development of rural areas of the State and increase in income of the farmers of the State through its interventions in the field of FPOs/Wadi/SHG Bank linkage Programmes etc. He further said that, it is NABARD which is instrumental in making India self dependent in Food Productions and upliftment of rural people.
NP Mohapatra, Chief General Manager welcomed the chief guest, bankers, NGOs and SHG members.
He further said that NABARD with a view to creating awareness on conservation, preservation and management of water and to improve productivity/water use efficiency, in association with CEE (Centre for Environment Education) organised water campaigns in 14 districts and so far 5000 programmes have since been completed. Besides creating awareness on conservation and effective utilisation of water, in each of the village, an action plan for improving the water resources are being prepared in consultation with all the stakeholders.
Dr RM Kummur, Chief General Manager in his address highlighted the various programmes/activities of NABARD in the State of Chhattisgarh which benefitted the economy of the State. He further said that NABARD’s initiatives have touched millions of rural lives across the country. The SHG Bank linkage Project launched by NABARD in 1992 has blossomed into the world’s largest micro finance project. Kisan Credit Card, designed by NABARD has become source of comfort for crores of farmers.
NABARD has financed one fifth of India’s total rural infrastructure through Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). NABARD has been recognised as pioneer in the field of watershed development.
Under Financial inclusion programme, with consistent efforts of NABARD , Cooperative banks and CRGB together have issued 11.38 lakhs of RuPay Kisan Cards (RKCs) in Chhattisgarh. Consequent upon demonetisation, Digital Financial literacy Awareness Programme (DFlPAS) were conducted to create awareness and demonstrate hands-on experience of various digital banking benefitting more than 65000 rural participants.
The programme was also extended to schools. NABARD sees solar energy as a potential disruptor technology in financial inclusion. To address the issue of lack of power and connectivity in sub-service areas (SSAs), NABARD extends support for setting up of solar-powered V-SATS to kiosks/fixed CSPs. NABARD supported RRBs and Cooperatives for conduct of 752 Financial literary Camps (FlC) during 4-9 June 2017.
NABARD’s initiatives are aimed at building an empowered and financially inclusive rural India through broad activities of Financial, Developmental and Supervision.
On this occasion, three booklets were released i.e. SHG Bank linkage’, ‘E-Shakti-Digitisation of SHGs’ and ‘Gaon ka Vikash-NABARD ke Saath’.
On the occasion of completion of 25 Years of SHG Bank linkage programme, the award for the best performance were given to Commercial Banks, Chhattisgarh Garh Rajya Gramin Bank, Cooperative Banks, NGOs and SHGs.
The State Government has sanctioned Rs 8 crore 29 lakh for Chindgaon anicut on Indrawati river at lohandiguda district Bastar. The construction will raise the water-table and help in bringing an additional 250 hectares of land under irrigation during Kharif season and 150 hectares of land in Rabi season. The Water Resources Department issued a circular to this effect at Mantralaya.