Farmers with KCC cards must get bank loans, says Purnendu Basu

Kolkata: State agriculture minister Purnendu Basu urged bankers to see to it that farmers having Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) got loan from banks. 

“Bengal has achieved the Krishi Karman award from the Centre for its good work in agriculture on more than one occasion. But I have to say that there is a problem with bank loans for the poor farmers. Seventy per cent of the farmers haven’t got bank loans despite having KCC as they do not have all the requisite documents. I would urge banks to provide loans to the farmers who have KCC,” Mr Basu said at a programme to commemorate the 36th foundation day of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). 

Mr Basu added that among the 72 lakh agricultural families in the state, 96 per cent were marginalised and poor , who desperately needed loans from banks for their agricultural activities. He said his department was working hard to develop “self sufficient villages” where farmers would produce vegetables in a scientific manner and there would be a value chain involved. 

He sought the help of NABARD, asking it to work in coordination with his department for the advancement in agriculture and bring about a boost the rural economy. 

The minister expressed his concern over vegetables with chemical residues entering the organic vegetable market in the state. “We presently hold two markets of organic vegetables: one at Bidhan Sishu Udyan in Ultadanga and another at Baguihati. I can guarantee you the quality of the stuff sold there. But I have doubts about the quality of so called organic vegetables at other places that is not under the supervision of the state,” Mr Basu said. 

Mr Basu claimed that he had been flooded by requests from North Kolkata to set up 15 more markets for organic vegetables and pointed out that the lack of transportation was a barrier.