Task Force on agrarian distress submits draft of Farm Credit Policy to CM
* Proposes a variety of measures including plan for ‘moneylender-free village’, special tax to raise funds for strengthening agriculture, and special Farm Debt Tribunals in each tehsil Staff Reporter Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM), set up by Government of Maharashtra to monitor implementation of the relief packages for farmers in six suicide-affected districts of Vidarbha a few years ago, has come up with a draft report on ‘Farm Credit Policy’. The re-constituted VNSSM, in its draft report submitted to the Chief Minister, has suggested a slew of measures including restoration of farm credit and advancing the farm credit distribution schedule. Restoration of farm credit, and advancing of farm credit supply schedule to bring all farmers in the net of banking (institutional) credit by April 2016 have been set as the ‘first goal’ of the draft Farm Credit Policy. “Currently, only 20 per cent of farmers are getting credit through banki...