AP Bureau.

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Bhubaneswar, 2 April 2015: NABARD Odisha has achieved a whooping credit sanctions to the tune of Rs 10 thousand crores in the state during 2014-15 fiscal year, according to an official release by the bank.

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Total sanctions in the State under the categories of loans to State Govt, refinance support to banks and direct loans reached an all time high level of around Rs.10,000 crore, recording an increase of 57% over the previous year. Total disbursements during the year, under the above categories crossed Rs 8000 crore, showing an increase of nearly 35% over 2013-14.

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Under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), NABARD has extended loans to the State Govt for starting critical rural infrastructure projects for Irrigation, Roads, Bridges etc. During 2014-15, the support extended to the State Govt under RIDF -XX was to an extent of Rs.2652 crore, showing a stupendous increase of 150% over the previous year’s sanctions, the release said.

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NABARD had started a separate Warehouse Infrastructure Fund (WIF) in 2014-15 for supporting the creation of warehouse infrastructure in the State so that small and marginal farmers could benefit from adequate and efficient storing facilities. The Odisha Regional Office of NABARD has committed loan support of Rs.964 crore to the State Govt for construction of more than 3375 rural godowns  in the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies ( PACS) located across various districts of the State.

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Besides, NABARD has provided refinance for short terms loans of Rs.4900.00 crore to the Odisha State Cooperative Bank, Odisha Gramya Bank and Utkal Grameena Bank, during 2014-15. The OSCB and the two RRBs issued 1.65 lakh Kisan Credit Cards in the State during 2014-15 with an estimated 50.13 lakh KCCs having been issued cumulatively as at the end of March 2015, by these institutions.