Question : FA LOAN TO RAJASTHAN BY NABARD

(a) the details of financial assistance extended by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to Rajasthan during each of thelast three years,Disthct-wise.

(b) the areas in which the investment have been made and the amount thereof;

(c) whether there is steady decrease in the loan disbursement from Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) NABARD, despite increase in funds every year;

(d) if so, reasons therefore; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to increase the lending for Agriculture Development in rural areas from the corps fund in RIDF set up in NABARD ?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI BALASAHEB VIKHE PATH) :

(a) and (b) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development provides refinance facilities to all commercial banks, cooperative banks and regional rural banks. The details of the short term credit limits sanctioned to State Cooperative Bank on behalf of the District Central Cooperative Banks in Rajasthan for the last three years are given in Statement-I. The details of the short term credit limits sanctioned to Regional Rural Banks in Rajasthan are given in Statement-ll. The details of the District-wise disbursement of refinance under farm and non-farm sector under long term credit for the last three years are given in Statement-Ill. Details of the year-wise and district-wise disbursements made under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in Rajasthan are given in Statement-IV.
(c) and (d) The loan disbursement under RIDF in Rajasthan were Rs. 68.52 crore in 1996-97 which had increased to Rs. 103.57 crore during 1998-99. Hence there has been no decrease in the disbursement.

(e) RIDF has been constituted mainly to assist the State Governments for completing their incomplete projects and for taking up new infrastructure projects in rural areas. The scope of projects which could be taken up under RIDF has been widened, repayment period has been increased from five to seven years and Panchayati Raj Institutions, Self-Help Groups (SHGs)/Non-Govern-mental Organisations (NGOs) have been included as eligible institutions for receiving loan. It is expected that when these projects are completed increased credit demand and higher level of economic activity in the rural areas would take place.