State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday cleared the credit plan of Rs 26.33 lakh crore in 2022-23 against Rs 18.11 lakh crore in 2021-22 for Maharashtra, a rise of 45.38%. Of which, the SLBC has set a crop loan target of Rs 64,000 crore against Rs 60,859 crore during the same period.
Thackeray directed the nationalised, private and district central cooperative banks to disburse crop loans to the farmers on a mission mode with the onset of monsoon especially and the Kharif season.
Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Agriculture Minister Dadaji Bhuse and Cooperation Minister Basaheb Patil asked the banks to fulfil the maximum Kharif target by end of June.
As of March 31, 2022, the overall achievement by banks in the state was 81% at Rs 49,899 crore of the annual crop loan target of Rs 60,589 crore showing 3% growth year on year. Overall achievement during the same period of the previous year (2020-21) was to the extent of 76%.
Of the Rs 48,999 crore, DCCBs’ achievement was 89% followed by nationalised banks 78% and private banks 62% in the disbursement of crop loans. The achievement of private banks was 15% less compared to 2020-21, said a senior cooperation department officer.
In the case of 54 lakh farmers, DCCBs have disbursed crop loans to 29.79 lakh against 24.26 lakh farmers by nationalized, private and regional rural banks. DCCBs provide loans to rainfed farmers dependent on them while nationalized and private banks lend mainly to big farmers who take cash crops.
Further, SLBC decided that nationalized and private banks should increase their crop loan targets in Nagpur, Buldhana, Wardha, Nashik and Solapur where DCCBs are weak so that farmers will not be deprived of crop loans.
