GUWAHATI, Jan 28 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ceremonially launched the Farmers� Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme at a function held here today.
The scheme has encapsulated three different plans. First is the Assam Farmers� Credit Subsidy Scheme under which all short-term crop loan availed from scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks and the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank will be availed at 25 per cent government subsidy for any loan availed between April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. The government will provide subsidy to a maximum limit of Rs 25,000 per farmer for a minimum loan amount of Rs 1 lakh.
Secondly, under the Assam Farmers� Interest Relief Scheme, farmers can avail short-term crop loan up to Rs 2 lakh at zero per cent interest rate. Thirdly, the scheme will provide a one-time cash incentive up to Rs 10,000 per account for activating the overdue and NPA KCC account provided the account would be turned into a standard account.
The Chief Minister said the scheme has been launched to achieve doubling of farmers� income by 2022. At the same time, he advocated that there should be a team of farmers, bankers and government officials to provide financial help and other logistic support for the farmers to enhance agricultural output in the State and help the sector to contribute significantly to the GDP.
The scheme was launched marking the Krishak Swahid Divas to honour the martyrdom of nearly 140 peasants who laid their lives in 1894 protesting against the increasing land tax rate and other exploitation by the British Raj. The Chief Minister also handed over a cheque bearing the State government�s contribution to the scheme to the SBI so that the bank in turn can credit the subsidy to the beneficiary accounts.
Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma speaking at length on the scheme said that during February 11 to 15, 2019 a new scheme will be launched to provide Rs 5,000 each to five lakh farmers in the State.
