Bandaru Dattatreya directs banks to provide cash to farmers

Sri Bandaru Dattatraya, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, Govt of India took initiative and conducted a SPECIAL MEETING attended by representatives of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), Farmers Societies & Associations on 12^th July, 2017 at Hyderabad.

In the Meeting the problems being faced by farmers namely:

Delay in remittance of Loan Waiver (3^rd installment) by State Govt between November 2016 and January 2017 and its burden on the farmers.

1. Status of remmitance of amounts into the bank accounts of farmers in the 4^thinstallment of loan waiver by Banks.
2. Availability of cash to farmers in remote and rural areas  were discussed threadbear.  The representatives of farmers narrated specific cases also on the above issues. 

 After a long discussion the following consensus was arrived at:

1. A resolution shall be made in SLBC regarding compulsory availability of cash to the farmer who holds Kisan Credit Card to the extent of Rs. One Lakh.
2. Building of data immediately on the extent of Cash distributed to the farmers district wise, Bank wise as well as Branch wise.
3. To exhibit a board in front of each bank branch on the cash distributed to farmers.  It was pointed out that there should not be any situation of exhibiting “No Cash” boards at the Bank branches.
4. Conduct of District Level Bankers Committee Meetings at District Head Quarters to discuss the ground realities regarding Crop Loans, Cash Availability for farmers.

Sri Chintala Ramchandra Reddy MLA and Sri N.Ramchander Rao MLC who pariticipated in the meeting have narrated the ground realities and their  experiences on the above issues with bankers and suggested the solutions.

While concluding the meeting Sri Bandaru Dattatraya directed the State Level Bankers Committee to :

1. To be in Constant touch with RBI Officials at Hyderabad on the release of cash to the banks district wise.
2. To issue a Circular upon resolution  immediately on the distribution of Cash compulsorily to the extent of Rs. One Lakh to all the farmers holding Kisan Credit Cards.
3. To coordinate and organise District Level Bankers Committee Meetings to discuss and resolve the ground level problems duly involving the Public Representatives and also Farmers Societies.
4. To exhibit boards in front of Bank branches in a conspicuous manner on the cash distribution made to the farmers.
5. SLBC coordinator to spare time atleast once a week to listen to the problems represented by farmers societies and associations.
6. To continue this spirit of review for about  a month seriously until the situation eases.

He also stated that he has spoken to Hon’ble Minister for Finance, Govt of India several times on the above issues.  He further stated that Rs. Nine Thousand Crores were released to the Banks by RBI by June 2017, Rs. Two Thousand Six Hundred Crores were released in the first week of July 2017 and another Rs. Two Thousand Crores would be released to Banks in the State of Telangana for Farmers by RBI on 13^th July, 2017.  He also noted that Rs. 3,600 Crores are available in the Cash Chests of Banks in Telangana.  As such with the total availability of Rs. 5,600 Crores approximately in the Stte of Telangana,  he hoped that the crisis would find a reasonable solution.

Sri Bandaru Dattatraya advised the Govt of Telangana to act swiftly in release of first installment of rescheduled Crop Loans of 2013 and 2014 for 10,893 farmers to the extent of Rs.44.45 Lakhs in erstwhile Medak District and also in Ranga Reddy, Adilabad Districts to the silimar extent.  He deeply felt that this chronic matter has been discussed in three succesive SLBC Meetings earlier and was also brought to the notice of Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture, Govt of Telangana by the farmers on which no action was yet taken in spite of the matter being on records of the District Collectorates, SLBC etc and statements in Media by the authorities.

Sri Subbayya GM RBI, Sri Meghanath GM (Distribution) RBI, Sri U.N.N.Mayya, General Manager SBI & Convenor SLBC, Sri J.B.Subramanyam AGM SLBC, Smt M.Rajeshwari Singh DGM Agriculture Insurance Corporation of India, Sri T.S.Rao AGM Canara Bank, Sri D.Rajashekar Reddy Chief Manager Indian Bank, Sri CH.Ramesh Sr. Manager Syndicate Bank, Sri T.S.Yesupadam GM Telangana Grameena Bank, Sri Manoj Kumar AGM APGVV, Sri Manjur Ghousia GM TSCOB and representatives of Insurance Companies, Sri Balda Ashok Member Minimum Wages Board participated in the meeting and presented their view points.

– Kailas Nagesh 1^st P.A. to Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, Govt of India

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