VIJAYAWADA: The NABARD has prepared the State Focus Paper with a credit plan of Rs 1,87,061 crore for the 2019-20 fiscal. During the AP 2019-20 State Credit Seminar organised under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha at the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi on Tuesday, NABARD AP Regional Chief General Manager K Suresh Kumar informed that Rs 1,23,526 crore was earmarked for agriculture and allied sectors and Rs 32,906 crore for the MSME sector.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Punetha suggested the bankers to prepare planning from village-level for the development of agriculture sector and betterment of rural employment opportunities.

 

He observed that preparation of sector-wise planning from village level will yield better results. Stating that the AP government stood ahead in the implementation of several welfare schemes and won over 650 national and international awards, the Chief Secretary said that the efforts put by the secretaries and heads of all departments under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu resulted in the State achieving inclusive growth.

 

Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) B Rajasekhar said that the State is attracting the attention of the world in Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), which is presently being taken up by five lakh farmers in five lakh acres of land. He said the government is targeting to increase the area under ZBNF to 60 lakh acres of land by 2022. He also appealed to the bankers to extend loans to tenant farmers.