Chandigarh, August 12: Haryana is among the leading states in the country in terms of getting more financial assistance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in the year 2020-21, despite COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the last financial year of 2020-21, the State has received 44 percent more financial assistance from NABARD as compared to the financial year 2019-20. Besides this, during the Pandemic, the state was also able to get financial assistance of Rs 1,030 crore in the year 2020-21 as against Rs 468 crore in the year 2014-15.

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal shared this information while presiding over a review meeting regarding various projects that are being funded by NABARD. Education Minister Sh. Kanwar Pal, Power Minister, Sh. Ranjit Singh, Cooperation Minister, Dr. Banwari Lal, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. J.P Dalal and Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Kamlesh Dhanda and Chairman, NABARD, Dr. G.R. Chintala were also present in the meeting.

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal today urged NABARD to start various types of trainings for the farmers and stakeholders of the cooperative sector of the state. Besides this, he also directed for extension of time limit for various projects funded by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in the state.

The Chief Minister said that Haryana, being close to the National Capital Region is on the way to take advantage of the schemes of the Centre and progress in every field. Haryana was earlier known only as an agro-based economy, but today it has become one of the leading industrial and service sector economies of the country.

The state's GDP has seen the highest growth in the country in the last 10 years and is consistently ranked among the top three fastest growing states in the country.

He said that due to the efforts of the government, power sector has been improved by reducing the line loss. Uninterrupted power supply is being provided to the industries. Besides this, it is the first state to implement the new National Education Policy for the youth of the state, significant efforts are being made for this and it will be completely implemented by 2025.

It was informed in the meeting that since 1996,  about 6668 projects have been approved by NABARD under the Rural Infrastructure Fund in the state, on which loans of about  Rs. 11151 crore have been given. Out of these projects, 3451 projects have been completed and 1857 projects are in progress. It is noteworthy that even during the year 2020-21 when COVID-19 Pandemic had effected the world and the country, projects worth 1130 crore were approved.

In the current financial year, the government sent six projects worth Rs. 1565 crore for approval. Out of which three projects with loan amount of Rs. 737 crore have been sanctioned and remaining three projects are under consideration of NABARD. These include projects of Public Health and Engineering Department, Public Works Department (Building and Roads), Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Food and Civil Supplies Department, HAREDA.

Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Sh. T. V. S. N. Parsad informed about micro irrigation, storage, agriculture, food processing, dairy processing and fisheries infrastructure fund.

Divulging details about establishment of India International Horticulture Market, Ganaur Sonipat, the Chief Minister was apprised that this market is being built on 545 acres of land for which NABARD is providing assistance of  Rs. 1600 crore.

The proposal to work on the project of making one lakh acres of waterlogged and saline land fertile through PPP mode with the help of NABARD was also included in the meeting.

Chairman, NABARD, Dr. G.R. Chintala assured the Chief Minister of all possible financial assistance for the projects being run in the state with the help of NABARD.

Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. D.S Dhesi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, and Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Smt. Ashima Brar also remained present.