SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has said that Jammu and Kashmir’s agriculture sector holds an additional credit potential of around Rs 3000 crore, which could be optimally tapped by financial institutions. He made these remarks while reviewing the progress of various credit-linked schemes under the Agriculture Production Department (APD).
During the meeting, which was attended by Principal Secretary APD, the Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, senior government officials, and representatives from BISAG-N, Dulloo emphasised the need for greater coordination between the administration and banks to enhance the approval and disbursement rate of applications. He noted that banks could significantly benefit from focusing on this sector, particularly given the low non-performing asset (NPA) rates in agricultural lending.
Dulloo stressed that at least half of the applications received by the department should be credit-linked, as the schemes offer attractive incentives such as interest subvention and moratorium periods not available elsewhere. He urged banks to assign their best human resources to oversee the implementation of these schemes to improve their uptake. He also reviewed district-wise progress, directing banks to clear long-pending applications, some of which have been delayed for over 100 days.
The Chief Secretary called for greater public awareness and handholding support to help farmers prepare detailed project reports (DPRs), thereby increasing the approval rate for their applications. He also sought feedback from officials on improving the performance of these schemes, which are now in their second year of implementation.
Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary APD, informed the meeting that the department aims to cover 13 lakh farmers under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, with the current number standing at 10.82 lakh active customers. He also revealed that the department, in collaboration with banks, is developing an IT solution named ‘Khetscore’ to assess farmers’ creditworthiness based on historical data, external risk factors, and geographical conditions.
Rahul Yadav, Managing Director of HADP, highlighted other initiatives being undertaken to enhance farmers’ access to credit. He outlined new IT tools, including a credit scheme advisor, a DPR generation portal, and a grievance redressal mechanism for real-time tracking of credit-related issues.
Dulloo later witnessed a live demonstration of these applications by BISAG-N and directed that all agriculture-related digital tools be integrated into a single platform for easier access. He also released several publications showcasing the progress and success stories of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) and other initiatives aimed at boosting farmers’ income in Jammu and Kashmir.
