To bring an end to the pollution due to stubble burning, the Union government is finalising a scheme to finance straw management equipments.

Disclosing this, Haryana chief secretary, DS Dhesi, who is member of the Prime Minister’s task force to tackle this issue, on Friday said under this scheme, straw management equipments will be provided to farmers on subsidy.

“Besides the subsidy, farmers will have to be given loans for buying these equipments, ” he said while speaking as chief guest in the 143rdmeeting of State Level Bankers’ Committee on Friday.

Dhesi urged upon the bankers to extend financing under Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) scheme to the needy, particularly the cobblers.

He said that with the advantage of information technology infrastructure in the state, SARAL scheme is being launched through which 325 government to citizens services which would be provided online and it would be made operational by April 14, 2018.

He said that Antyodya Service Kendras are also being set up at tehsil level which would provide information with regard to budget oriented schemes.

The regional director, Reserve Bank of India, Chandigarh, Nirmal Chand said that banks in Haryana have sanctioned loan of Rs 2,052 Crore to 1,35,784 persons as at December, 2017 during the financial year 2017-18 under ‘Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna’.

Apart from this, the total advances of commercial banks and registered rural banks (RRBs) increased by Rs 27,399 Crore from Rs 1,95,406 Crore as at December 2016 to Rs 2,22,805 Crore as at December 2017.

Similarly, total deposits of commercial banks and RRBs have increased by Rs. 29,185 crore from Rs. 3,00,761 crore as at December 2016 to Rs. 3,29,946 crore as at December 2017.The banks have opened 64,54,721 accounts under ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana’ and mobilized an amount of Rs 2,162 Crore as on December 2017 in Haryana.

Giving information about the progress made by banks in three social security schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accidental death insurance, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana for life insurance cover and Atal Pension Yojana for old age pension, Chand said that under PMSBY the banks have enrolled 27,94,368 persons, under PMJJBY enrolled 8,53,218 persons and in APY enrolled 1,49,896 persons up to December 31, 2017.