NCDC to take up programmes worth Rs 3,300 crore in 09-10

The National Cooperative Developement Corporation (NCDC), a statutory corporation under Union Ministry of Agriculture is to take up programmes worth Rs 3,300 crore during the year 2009-10. The money was approved at the NCDC’s General Council meeting, which was held on 22 July. For the 11th Plan Period, a programme with an outlay of Rs 19,640 crore has been chalked out by NCDC for various cooperative development programmes in the country.

According to NCDC’s release, the council, chaired by Sharad Pawar, Union Minister for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has proposed marketing and inputs programme with an outlay of Rs 1,025 crore (31 per cent of the total outlay), agro procession cooperatives outlay is Rs 1,000 crore (30 per cent) and industrial, credit and service cooperative is Rs 835 crore (25 per cent).

Similarly for weaker sections programmes, which includes fisheries, dairy, poultry, handlooms, SC/ST cooperatives etc, around Rs 237 crore (7 per cent) has been proposed.

Outlay for Integrated Cooperative Development Projects (ICDP) will be Rs 165 crore. Storage, consumer cooperatives, computerisation of cooperative societies and promotional activities will account for a balance two per cent of the outlay.

NCDC, in 2008-09, released Rs 3,586.91 crore, which is 119.56 per cent of the approved outlay. Further net NPAs have been reduced to 0.006 per cent of the outstanding loans and recovery was 99.7 per cent, according to NCDC release.

NCDC has been planning, promoting and financial programmes of agricultural inputs, processing, storage, marketing of agricultural produce and certain other notified commodities on cooperative principles and also equipping cooperatives with facilities to promote income generating activites like poultry, dairy, fisheries, sericulture, handlooms across the country.