Over 6.65 crore farmers issued credit cards in India

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) As many as 6.65 crore farmers had been the issued Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) in the country till March-2007, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Replying to a question by Mr N S V Chittan, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that since KCC is a revolving credit limit facility, allowing a farmer to draw and deposit money any number of times within the sanctioned credit limit, data reporting system does not maintain information about amounts disbursed to farmers. However, the total credit limit sanctioned on KCCs to farmers was Rs 2,34,724.30 crore till June 30 this year, he added.

Of 74.70 lakh KCCs issued in 35 states and union territories in the country in 2006-07, Andhra Pradesh topped the list having issued 1.37 crore cards, followed by Uttar Pradesh 1.35 crore and Madhya Pradesh 1.08 crore according to a statement tabled in the House.

Chandigarh, which issued 928 cards in 2004-05, released only one KCC in 2005-06 and not a single card in 2006-07, the statement said.

Chandigarh does not have regional rural bank (RRB). Puducherry also has no RRB but it had issued 7,482 cards in 2006-07, 5,222 in 2005-06 and 5,378 cards in 2004-05, according to the statement.

UNI