MAHABUBNAGAR : In view of the drought conditions prevailing in the district due to the impact of El Niño, District Collector Khushboo Gupta has urged bankers to extend all possible support to eligible farmers and provide financial assistance to help them overcome the crisis. She stressed the need to restructure crop loans and encourage agricultural and allied activities through adequate credit facilities. A special District Level Consultative Committee (DLCC) and District Level Review Committee (DLRC) meeting was held on Thursday at the VC Conference Hall of the Collectorate under the chairmanship of the District Collector. The meeting reviewed the prevailing drought conditions, relief measures to be extended to farmers through banks, and the restructuring of crop loans. The Collector informed the bankers that the State Government had identified drought-affected mandals across the district. Chinnachintakunta and Koilkonda have been classified as severely drought-affected mandals, while Gandeed, Hanwada, Mahabubnagar Rural, Devarkadra, Addakal, Moosapet, Mahabubnagar Urban, Balanagar, Rajapur, Jadcherla and Koukuntla have been declared moderately drought-affected mandals. To provide financial relief to farmers in drought-affected areas, the Collector directed banks to implement crop loan restructuring in accordance with the guidelines issued by the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). She explained that farmers in the two severely drought-affected mandals would be eligible for a 12-month moratorium, with the total loan repayment period extended up to 60 months, including the moratorium period. Similarly, farmers in the 11 moderately drought-affected mandals would be provided a 12-month moratorium, with the total repayment period extended up to 36 months, including the moratorium period. She instructed bankers to implement these guidelines effectively and ensure that all eligible farmers receive the benefits. Observing that farmers were facing financial hardships due to drought conditions, she made it clear that banks should not exert any pressure on them for loan repayments during this difficult period. She urged bank officials to adopt a humane and responsible approach and ensure that every eligible farmer receives credit facilities in accordance with the prescribed norms. The Collector further stressed that banks must extend full cooperation to drought-affected farmers as per government guidelines. She called upon officials of the concerned departments and bankers to work in close coordination to reduce the financial burden on the farming community. Awareness Programmes on Credit Facilities and Loan Restructuring The Collector directed officials to organise awareness programmes on the credit facilities available to farmers and the procedures for loan restructuring. She instructed them to prepare mandal-wise action plans and create awareness through Rythu Vedikas and Gram Sabhas, in coordination with Agriculture Department officials, explaining the banking services and financial assistance available to farmers. She also urged banks to provide fresh loans to eligible farmers and extend the necessary financial support for agriculture and allied sectors. Bank officials were asked to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive loans sanctioned under various government schemes through the Horticulture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry departments. Local Bodies Additional Collector Madhusudan Naik, Lead District Manager Chandrasekhar, NABARD Assistant General Manager Shanmukhachari, bank branch managers and officials from various departments attended the meeting.
