THE MINISTER OF FINANCE (SHRI YASHWANT SINHA):
(a) to (c) Under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme, all farmers eligible for sanction of crop
loan are eligible for issuance of cards. The credit extended under the scheme is in the
nature of revolving cash credit limit, which is fixed on the basis of optional land holding,
cropping pattern and scales of finance taking into account the entire crop loan requirement
of the farmers for the full year. No targets were fixed for banks for issuance of Kisan
Credit Cards during the year 1998-99. Public sector bank-wise targets for issue of Kisan
Credit Cards for the year 1999-2000 are at Statement I. The target for the year 2000-01
is 75 lakh Kisan Credit Cards to be issued by the banking sector (commercial
banks cooperative if banks). Bank-wise targets for public sector banks for the year
2000-01 are at Statement II. Bank-wise position of Kisan Credit Cards issued and amount
sanctioned thereof during 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are at Statement-State-wise and
bank-wise progress as on 31 March 2000 giving the details of number of Kisan Credit Cards
issued and the loan amount sanctioned since inception by cooperative banks and RRBs is given
in the Statement IV. Similarly, the State-wise and bank-wise (co-operative banks and RRBs)
progress alongwith the targets fixed for issue of Kisan Credit Cards for 2000-01 is given
in Statement-V.
(d) In order to popularize the Kisan Credit Card scheme, convenors of State Level Bankers
Committee and lead banks have been advised to review the progress in issue of Kisan Credit
Cards at State level and district levd. The progress of the scheme is also reviewed
regularly by Reserve Bank of India and Government and achievement is monitored on a
monthly basis. Banks have been advised to give adequate publicity to the scheme through
print & electronic media highlighting that this scheme will ensure flow of adequate and
timely credit to farmers and also save them trouble of getting their credit requirement
assessed by the banks every year.
