Collector Released PLP
District Collector, V. Palanikumar on Tuesday released the Potential Linked Credit Plan (PLP) of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for Coimbatore District for the year 2009-2010 wherein the credit flow projections for the year was put at Rs. 7,32,857.20 lakh. The document said that the projection of potentials for ground level investments through bank credit during the year 2009-2010 was after estimating the balance potential available for exploitation in Coimbatore district and also after taking into account human and natural resources, endowment factors, infrastructure and support services available and those likely to be created.Non-farm sector accounted for a major share of 64.6 per cent followed by other priority sector at 18.3 per cent, crop loan advances at 13.4 per cent, investment credit under agricultural sector at 3.2 per cent and Agro and Food Processing at 0.5 per cent. The PLP also pointed out that the coverage of borrowers under the National Agriculture Insurance Crop Scheme (NAIS) – crop insurance scheme was very poor. Banks need to cover more under this scheme. Kisan Credit Cards are not issued to all eligible borrowers and PLP asked the bankers to extend KCC to farmers and also cover them under Personal Accident Insurance Scheme. The PLP also suggested that as organic farming was picking up and the capital investment subsidy for organic farming was in force, banks should encourage agricultural entrepreneurs to take up this activity.
The PLP also said that distribution and availability of DAP should be revisited and Government should ensure that DAP was available through societies. Other suggestions to the State Government included that Government should consider waiving of stamp duty required to be paid by the farmers at the time of registration of loan documents while providing security to the financing banks, increase the support price for copra etc. Also, sugarcane harvesters from Agriculture Engineering Department on hiring basis,as the farmers may not be able to afford to buy this machine, could tackle acute shortage of labour for sugarcane cutting.
Government’s efforts for modernisation of tanks should be continued vigorously for effective harnessing of rainwater and better recharge of ground water. Broad sector-wise PLP projections are: crop production (Rs 98,131.00 lakh), term investment for agriculture and allied activities (Rs 24,141.60 lakh), non-farm sector( Rs 4,72,887.40 lakh), agro and food processing sector( Rs 3,447.20 lakh), other priority sector (Rs 1,34,250.00 lakh).
