The West Bengal government has taken several steps to improve the infrastructure in the agriculture sector and that has paid dividends. A sum of Rs 1,325 crore has been spent for 1000 projects that include 51 cold storages, oil mills, dal (pulses) mills, 185 packaging and grading facilities, 138 warehouses, and 500 farm and machinery hubs which have been sanctioned by banks and disbursement was done in 881 projects as on 14 April.
Agriculture infrastructure fund extends interest subvention of 3 per cent on project loan by banks and loan up to Rs 2 crore in each case and is secured under credit guarantee fund trust and thus there is no need for collateral security for loan sanction.
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In case of PACS/ cooperatives interest on project loan is only 1 per cent under the scheme. In addition, the applicants can avail benefits of subsidy under any scheme like farm mechanisation, financial assistance under agricultural marketing infrastructure schemes, MIDH schemes etc.
The initiative has become successful because of awareness campaigns, preparation of DPRs, application to banks among others.
District level monitoring committees under district magistrates monitor approval by the banks. Individual applications are tracked and followed up through real time project monitoring portal and statutory clearances for land, environment, fire etc are cleared fast through one window facility.
