(a) whether the Government have received any suggestions and expert
opinions from certain quarters to extend and increase the activities
of National bank for Agriculture and Rural Development in the East and
North Eastern States;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the action taken by (he GovernmerrrfiTereon?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(SHRI S.S.PALANIMANICKAM)
(a) to (c): Suggestions are being received by the Government from various
quarters from time to time to increase the activities of National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) in the East and North Eastern
States. NABARD has accorded high level of priority for development of Eastern
and Nortli Eastern Regions and has taken steps and given, inter-alia,
following special concessions for North Eastern Region:-
# refinance for investment credit at concessional rate of interest i.e 6%
irrespective of the size of the loan;
# 100% refinance to all financing agencies for most of the purposes under
investment credit;
# relaxation in eligibility criteria for both i.e investment credit and
production credit;
# capital investment subsidy scheme for rural godowas wherein subsidy has
been fixed at 33.33 % with a higher ceiling of Rs. 50 lakh ;
# capital investment subsidy scheme for cold storages and onion godowns
under which subsidy has been fixed at 33.33% with a higher ceiling of Rs.
60 lakh;
# Up-gradation of 7 sub-offices as regional offices by NABARD and opening of
5 new District Development Manager`s offices, etc.
Further, the following details show an upward trend in refinance disbursed by
NABARD during the last three years in the Eastern and North Eastern Region :-
(Rs. in lakh) State 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Orissa 26975 30839 32264 Bihar 8205 9671 17645 Jharkhand 3908 4551 4802 West Bengal 41495 61323 47412 Arunachal 690 711 987 Pradesh Assam 6937 7354 13303 Manipur 519 219 933 Meghalaya 917 932 1192 Mizoram 1585 1685 3637 Nagaland 218 127 160 Tripura 1096 1234 1657 Sikkim 375 0 930