(a) whether the Reserve Bank of India has been urged to issue necessary instructions
to NABARD and commercial banks for rescheduling the short-term loans outstanding against
the coffee growers especially in Kerala, so that their normai operations are not
hit by failing prices; and
(b) if so, the steps taken to help the poor coffee growers?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRi GINGEE N. RAMACHANDRAN):
(a) and (b) Reserve Bank of India (RBf) has reported that the issue of rescheduling of the
existing short-term loans to enable the coffee growers to tide over the problems faced by
them on account of fall in international prices of coffee was examined by them and banks
were specifically advised that they may restructure the borrowal accounts of coffee growers
as per RBI guidelines tor restructuring of bank dues of industrial manufacturers oo that the
coffee growers can get relief in the form of reschedulement and also avail of fresh loans
for current season. In addition, a special State Level Bankers` Committee meeting was held
in May, 2001 at Bangalore for impressing the urgent need for completing the exercise by the
financing banks.