Tiwari assures Tikait to look into farmers' problems

Dehra Dun, June 19 (UNI) Uttaranchal Chief Minister N D Tiwari today assured Bharatiya Kisan Union president Choudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait that his government would look into the problems being faced by farmers in the state.

The Chief Minister at his residence told Ch Tikait that the state till date has issued five lakh credit cards, provided crop loan of Rs 3500 crore and cooperative loan of Rs 900 crore to farmers.

He also informed Ch Tikait that Uttaranchal was the first state to provide loans to farmers at an interest rate of 5 per cent and had reduced the rate of interest for home loans under Kishan Awas Yojna from existing 8 to 5 per cent. Mr Tiwari said the government had initiated 'Atma' project in all the 13 district to update the farmers on the technological development in the agriculture sector and other spheres.

He said under that 'Crop Insurance Programme' more than 6,000 farmers had benefited till date.

He said the government was totally committed to providing farmers due prices for their crops.

Ch Tikait and other representaives of Kisan Union urged the Chief Minister to bring down the rates of electricity supply used for agricultural purposes.

UNI XC SI BD1307