ITANAGAR, Jul 13: The NABARD’s Arunachal regional office (RO) here launched several programmes in the state to mark the NABARD’s 39th foundation day on 13 July.
In view of the Covid-19 related restrictions, the programmes were unveiled online by the RO.
Various schemes with grant support totalling Rs 121 lakhs have been sanctioned to the Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank, in order to improve the financial inclusion process, especially to cover the un-reached locations in the state. The grant assistance includes support for setting up V-SAT structures, solar powered units/UPS deployment, micro ATMs, POS, mPOS, etc, to be established in un-banked areas of the state.
The NABARD also released Rs 501 lakhs to the climate change cell of the environment & forests department as the second installment of the NAFCC-assisted climate change project titled ‘Addressing the climate change vulnerability of Papum Poma river for conservation and recharging of its springs’.
The programme will cover 28 villages of Papum Pare district, with a total grant support of Rs 2391.51 lakhs from the NAFCC, for which the NABARD is the national implementing entity.
It also launched a one-off farm producers’ organization (OFPO), namely, the Zeet-Zeero Producer Company, of weavers of Ziro, sanctioned to the Arunachal Pradesh Coop Weavers Federation, with a grant support of Rs 19.95 lakhs.
“The OFPO envisages skilling and handholding of 225 artisans engaged in weaving activity in Ziro area of Lower Subansiri district,” the RO stated in a release.
The Young Mission Adventure Club was sanctioned Rs 7.25 lakhs for a livelihood and enterprise development programme (LEDP) to benefit 130 weavers in West Siang district. Similarly, an LEDP involving Rs 7.43 lakh has been sanctioned to the Namsai Organic Spices and Agricultural Products Producers Co Ltd, “for value addition in spices and aloe vera for about 150 SHG women in the aspirational district of Namsai, to provide training and marketing support.”
The NABARD also virtually inaugurated four rural marts sanctioned in Rupa (West Kameng), Namsai, Roing (Lower Dibang Valley) and Doimukh (Papum Pare). In addition, one rural mart for selling the products of women SHGs in West Siang district was also inaugurated here.
The NABARD also launched assistance for constructing two rural haats sanctioned in Changlang and Dambuk (Lower Dibang Valley) with Rs 10 lakhs each. Four farmer-producer organizations, sanctioned to various agencies in West Kameng (1), LDV (1) and Namsai (2) were also launched.
Greeting the NABARD on the occasion of its foundation day, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein in a letter commended the partnership between the NABARD and the state government in developing the state, “especially in the field of development of rural infrastructure and agriculture sector.”
The DCM acknowledged the efforts of the NABARD “in collectivization of farmers in line with the thrust provided by the government of India,” and expressed confidence that the state government would be able to “make Arunachal the happiest state in the country with the support from developmental partners like the NABARD.”
