331/2022-2023

Aizawl 2nd February 2023: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Mizoram Regional Office, conducted State Credit Seminar in Aijal club, Aizawl on 02 February 2023. Pu Zoramthanga, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mizoram was the chief guest at the Seminar in which Dr Renu Sharma, IAS, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Mizoram, Chairman, Mizoram Rural Bank, Chairperson, Mizoram Cooperative Apex Bank, Convenor, SLBC, senior officials of State Government Departments, RBI and banks participated.

Shri KVSSLV Prasada Rao, in his welcome address, extending a hearty welcome to the Hon’ble Chief Minister and other guests and participants, explained that NABARD every year prepares Potential Linked Credit Plans (PLPs) for all the districts which are aggregated into State Focus Paper at the State level. Apart from the Credit projections, the document presents an analytical assessment of the infrastructure and support services required for harnessing credit potential. The State Focus Paper for the year 2023-24 has been released by Hon’ble Chief Minister in the State Credit Seminar.

The State Focus Paper assessed credit potential of Rs.2037 crore towards priority sector in the state of Mizoram. Of this, Agriculture – both Crop production loans and Term loan for agriculture and allied activities – accounts for Rs.714 crore, MSME Rs.954 crore, Housing Rs.336 crore and the other sectors Rs.33 crore. The State Focus Paper also identified digitization of land records, more involvement of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies in agriculture credit, saturation of coverage under Kisan Credit Card (KCC), public investment for creation of rural infrastructure in terms of irrigation, farm/agri link roads, marketing, storage, etc., strengthening extension network, credit linkage of SHGs as important interventions to improve credit flow in the State.

Chief Secretary congratulated NABARD for conducting the Seminar and advised the State Governments to work in close coordination with the banks in increasing credit flow in the state.

Hon’ble Chief Minister in his address complimented NABARD for their role in credit planning and its contribution for the development of state through financial support to the State Government for creation of rural infrastructure in the State, especially, roads, health sector, education, renewable energy, etc., which go a long way in taking the state to higher growth levels. He traced the historical background to formation of State of Mizoram and development of formal banking and credit culture in the State. He urged the banks to impart Financial Literacy in the rural areas on access to various banking and financial services.

Other who spoke on the occasion included Shri V Jaya Chandra, Chairman, Mizoram Rural Bank, Shri Rakesh Kumar Ravi, Convenor, SLBC.  A detailed presentation on the State Focus Paper was made by the officials of NABARD.