PASHU KISAN CREDIT CARD PROGRAMME LAUNCHED IN U.T. CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh.21 September,2020: The Government has recently introduced ‘Pashu Kisan Credit Card’ for livestock farmers to increase the Animal Husbandry business across the country. Moreover, it has been decided by RBI to extend the KCC facility for a working capital requirement for activities related to Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. 
Accordingly, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, U.T. Chandigarh took the initiative to implement this scheme in U.T. Chandigarh for the first time. The department has so far identified 527 livestock owners for issuance of Pashu Kisan Credit Cards. The applications of the livestock owners have been forwarded to the concerned banks of the Chandigarh. 208 cases have been sanctioned so far and 25 credit cards have been issued and the remaining applications are being processed. The Animal Husbandry officers have reached out the farmers/ livestock owners and briefed them about the scheme. Out of around 1380 livestock owners, 527 have been covered and others have been encouraged to apply for the same.
Sh. Sanjay Kumar Jha, Secretary Department of Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, U.T. Chandigarh, while launching the scheme, gave away Pashu Kisan Credit Cards today to the beneficiaries of livestock owners of Khuda Lahora and Maloya villages. The farmers/livestock owners were quite appreciative and enthusiastic about the government initiative and thanked the government to provide funds for rearing of their livestock at nominal rate of interest. Pashu Kisan Credit Card may be used for availing a loan of Rs. 44018 for a cow and Rs. 61467 for a buffalo at any effective rate of interest of 4%. The benefit of PKCC for AH&D with a limit of Rs. 1.60 lakh can be availed by any livestock farmer, without providing any collateral security. This will provide a much needed relief to the farmers in this period of pandemic. The Punjab National Bank is the Lead Bank in U.T. Chandigarh and about 20 other banks are also involved in this scheme.
On the occasion, Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, Secretary, Animal Husbandry advised the farmers to take benefits of the government schemes i.e. Pashu Kisan Credit Card and National Animal Disease Control Program in which free of cost vaccinations are being carried out by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, U.T. Chandigarh at the doorstep of livestock farmers. The Department is also tagging the livestock of U.T. Chandigarh and the data of the same would be maintained in the INAPH (Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health).
Shri Tejdeep Singh Saini, Director, Animal Husbandry, Dr. Kanwarjit Singh, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry and Shri Anil Yadav, Lead bank Manager briefed the benefits of Pashu Kisan Credit Card Scheme to the livestock owners. The Pashu Kisan Credit Card would be issued to the dairy owners to meet the rearing expenses of dairy animals and shall be returnable within a year. The expenses would include cost of feed, labor cost, water, electricity and Veterinary Aid. The Pashu Kisan Credit Card can be used for taking a loan of Rs. 44018 for a cow and Rs. 61467 for a buffalo. The loan will be given to the livestock owner in 6 equal installments for cow and 7 equal installments for a buffalo every month on the basis of financial scale from the bank i.e. Rs. 7336/- per month for cow and Rs. 8781/- per month for buffalo. If for some reason the farmer is not able to get the credit for a month, he can also take the credit of the previous month for the next month.
This is a major step by the Department of Animal Husbandry toward the goal of ‘Doubling of Farmer’s Income by 2022’. The cash inflow will help farmers to adopt better scientific Animal Husbandry practices and thus boost up productivity of their livestock.