Spectacular achievement by NABARD in Odisha with Financial
assistance of Rs 22,709 crore during 2020-21.
Bhubaneswar: The Covid-19 pandemic has set different challenges before all of us. It has not only disrupted the production, consumption & distribution system but also affected employment across the economy. In spite of these, India’s agricultural system
demonstrated its resilience amid such adversities. In order to strengthen and support
the agriculture sector, several initiatives have been undertaken by GoI, GoO and
NABARD during the post-pandemic period.
NABARD, Odisha Regional Office has achieved spectacular progress during the
year 2020-21. NABARD’s financial support to the State Government, Banks and
Corporations have touched Rs 22,709 crores. In this backdrop, the performance
highlights of NABARD, Odisha RO for 2020-21 are summarized as under:
1. Under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,
NABARD provided front-ended liquidity support to rural financial institutions with a
view to ensuring an unhindered flow of credit from banks to farmers to carry out their
agricultural operations smoothly. NABARD, Odisha RO disbursed Rs 1,700 crores
under Special Liquidity Facility (SLF) to Cooperative Banks and MFIs during covid-
pandemic.
2. NABARD has been providing liquidity support by way of Short Term Refinance to
Cooperative Banks and RRBs for meeting the credit requirements of farmers for their
agricultural operations at subsidized rates of interest. During FY-2020-21, refinance
for short term crop loans to the tune of Rs 12,193 crores was disbursed to Cooperative
Banks and RRBs.
Spectacular Achievement by NABARD in Odisha with Financial Assistance of Rs 22,709 crore during 2020-21
3. To promote capital formation in Agri and allied sectors, NABARD disbursed Long
Term Refinance of Rs 1551.85 crores to Commercial Banks, Odisha State Cooperative
Bank and MFI during the year.
4. Infrastructure Financing: Continuing with its thrust on building agricultural and
rural infrastructure, NABARD has sanctioned a whopping of Rs 3234.25 crores to Govt.
of Odisha under RIDF Tranche XXVI [2020-21]. This sanction includes 2510
Community-Based Lift Irrigation Projects under BKVY scheme, 11 Megalift Schemes
under Cluster-V, 74 Rural Bridge Projects, 07 Mega Piped Water Supply Projects, 08
Flood Protection and 01 System Improvement Project. These Irrigation projects are
envisaged to create/stabilize/develop an irrigation potential of 97256 ha in the state
of Odisha apart from bridge projects to provide the necessary rural connectivity. The
Drinking-Water projects funded by NABARD on completion are expected to provide
clean and safe drinking water to 25.46 lakh rural population across 3.50 lakh
households in 1335 villages of the state. During the FY 2020-21, NABARD also
disbursed RIDF assistance of Rs 2732.75 Cr to Govt. of Odisha for the expenditure
incurred towards various ongoing projects. Some of the major infrastructure projects
supported by NABARD in the State are Indravati Lift Canal Irrigation Project in
Kalahandi, 05 lakh LPD OMFED automated milk processing unit, drinking water
projects in Nuapada, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Nabarangpur, Dhenkanal, and Jajpur.
5. Further, during the year 2020-21, NABARD has disbursed an amount of Rs 5597.50
crore for supporting paddy procurement operations in the State.
6. NABARD has extended grant assistance of Rs 58 crores towards various
promotional initiatives during FY 2020-21. Being the pioneer in implementing
Watershed projects in the State, to give a fillip to economic activity and enhance
livelihood opportunities for project beneficiaries, 144 watershed projects have been
undertaken by NABARD with the financial assistance of Rs 74.92 CRS covering an area of 1,12,000 ha and 41000 households in 24 districts of Odisha. Currently, 70 watershed
projects are ongoing and 5 new projects were sanctioned during the year with
the financial assistance of Rs 6.27 crore under Watershed development and climate-proofing projects.
7. To ensure sustainable livelihood for the tribal people of Odisha, under the Tribal
development programme/ WADI project, NABARD has implemented 63 tribal
development projects with the financial assistance of Rs 190.61 CRS covering an area of 41,000
acres and 48,000 tribal families in 21 districts of Odisha. During FY-2020-21, 02
new projects were sanctioned with the financial assistance of Rs 7.39 crore in Dhenkanal
and Koraput.
8. Over the years, NABARD has emerged as a leader in the promotion and nurturing
FPOs and creating an enabling ecosystem for their sustainability in the State of
Odisha. This has not only enabled small/marginal farmers to get better price
realization but also created an enabling ecosystem for forwarding and backward
linkages. During 2020-21, NABARD, Odisha RO has extended financial assistance of
Rs 2.88cr towards promotion and development of 242 FPOs in the State. NABARD
FPOs are benefitting about one lakh farmers. Under Central Sector Scheme (CSS),
10000 FPO scheme – 15 CBBOs have been selected and 46 FPOs have been
sanctioned in 21 Districts of Odisha. With a view to improving the accessibility of
institutional loans and extend collateral-free loan facility to FPOs, the Government of
Odisha signed an MOU with NABKISAN, a subsidiary of NABARD for the creation of a
separate Credit Guarantee Fund to the tune of Rs 10 Crore by the Govt. of Odisha.
9. NABARD has been promoting various non-farm / off-farm activities as an
alternative mean to supplement farmers’ income, and also extended benefit to 8420
SHG women for promotion of livelihoods.
