GUWAHATI, March 3 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today urged the banks to extend hassle-free credit to the farmers and entrepreneurs in a big way for the overall economic development of the State.
The Chief Minister said this while inaugurating the State Level Credit Camp of Assam Gramin Vikash Bank at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) auditorium.
Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Gogoi said that banks and financial institutions must play a pivotal role in extending loans to farmers, entrepreneurs and weaker sections, as it could go a long way in solving the problems of unemployment and poverty.
�Banks and financial institutions must ensure adequate and timely credit to our farmers and entrepreneurs. Extending credit helps in poverty alleviation, thus contributing towards economic development,� he said.
Lauding the role of Assam Gramin Vikash Bank in extending loans to rural people, especially farmers and entrepreneurs, Gogoi said, �More and more banks must come forward to extend loans to rural people. The State cannot march ahead on the path of development if the rural areas in which 80 per cent of our populace lives lag behind.�
Underscoring the need for credit support to farmers in the greater interest of the State and its economy, Gogoi said that Assam�s economy was basically agrarian, and ensuring access to credit was of paramount importance for the cultivators, especially the small and marginal farmers.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for a scientific and need-based approach to ensure optimum use of the State�s natural resources. �We have to ensure easy access to modern technology and knowhow as well as timely availability of loans to the farmers for optimum use of our cultivable land. Though much headway has been made on the agriculture front, especially in production of rice and pulses, there is much scope for achieving bigger targets,� he said.
