Baidyanathan report adopted

The Statesman, Aug 31, 2007

Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Aug. 30: The state cooperation department has decided to implement the Baidyanathan Committee recommendations from this year. Some of the decisions are in accordance with the agricultural package announced by the chief minister on 14 August.
It has decided to bring nine lakh agricultural families in the State having no access to institutional credit, under the fold of co-operative credit by providing Kisan Credit Cards to eligible farmers in three years, covering three lakh families per year. It has also decided that during 2007-08, the Co-operative Banks will provide fresh finance to all the balance eligible 2.1 lakh farmers whose arrear loans have earlier been rescheduled.
Also the network of the Primary Co-operative Credit Societies in the tribal areas, whose growth has remained restricted due to the Lamps approach will be expanded, making agricultural credit more accessible for the tribal population and bringing the grass roots level co-operative credit societies nearer to the farmers in the tribal areas. The District Central Co-operative Banks in Bhawanipatna, Koraput, Berhampur, Bo1angir and Aska covering the main cotton producing districts will now provide credit to cotton farmers at the concessional rate of seven per cent for their agricultural operations during the current Kharif so as to prevent their dependence on high-cost loans from moneylenders and the consequent exploitation.
Contract farming in cotton to be encouraged for assured market linkage and remunerative prices to farmers to prevent exploitation. Two special cotton markets, with processing facilities will be established at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district and at Digapahandi in Ganjam district.
Two special markets for maize will also be established at Umerkote and Raighar in Nawarangapur district. Market yards will also be established by the RMCs in all the 118 blocks without market yards during the next two years. The state government will also set up basic infrastructural facilities like cold storages, cold chambers and godowns.
Modern terminal markets for primary processing and marketing of fruit and vegetable shall be established at Rourkela, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Koraput.