During the seminar, the Chief Minister said the role of NABARD and other banks is quite prominent in the economic and social development of the State.

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who participated in the State Credit Seminar on Wednesday, released a State Focus Paper (SFP) 2022-23 prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). During the seminar, the Chief Minister said the role of NABARD and other banks is quite prominent in the economic and social development of the State.

Despite the pandemic, the agriculture sector achieved a growth rate of 4.16 per cent, he said and added that the government aims at making AP a leading State in agriculture. He said the government is assisting farmers right from seed to sale, through RBKs and even compensating them for their losses.

He urged NABARD to provide required assistance in the agriculture sector. Jagan emphasised using the latest technology in agriculture and said that drones will be introduced in RBKs and they shall be managed by imparting skills at village level. Also, he said that 16 new medical colleges are being constructed besides developing 11 ones under the Nadu-Nedu initiative.

He also stated efforts are being made to provide safe drinking water to those villages affected by fluorosis. The government is setting up harbours, ports and fish landing centres. NABARD chairman Chintala Govindarajulu said they prioritise establishing agricultural infrastructure and hailed the initiatives taken by the Jagan regime to develop the co-operative sector in the State.

He said they were providing large-scale loans for the creation of infrastructure like godowns, cold storage, custom hiring centres within the societies. He also stressed the need to set up a state co-operative training institute and stated that co-operative banks would work professionally if the staff gets promoted on the basis of merit in the examinations conducted by this institution.