Banks told to give loans to licensed cultivators

HYDERABAD: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday asked banks to provide crop loans to as many as 5,75,317 ‘Sagu Rythus’ (licensed cultivators) who were given loan eligibility cards under the Sagu Rythu Rakshana Hastham scheme.The scheme was launched by the chief minister on Monday to help the licensed cultivators in the state to get bank loans, crop insurance, input subsidies and all other benefits extended to the farmers. He asked the bankers to see that all the licensed cultivators get the loans in this season itself.The chief minister said over 1.5 lakh licensed cultivators of Telangana districts will be issued loan eligibility cards from July 20. He also directed banks to provide other loans up to Rs 50,000 to licensed cultivators who could not get crop loans at Pavala Vaddi by forming joint liability groups on condition of prompt repayment. The licensed cultivators were given bank loans without any land mortgage. The IKP and agriculture department will coordinate and facilitate bank loans to farmers without any hurdles.