- A one-day National Conference on KCC for Fisheries was organized on 4 September, 2023 in Maharashtra, chaired by Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- It was organized in coordination with Department of Fisheries (DoF) and Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying (DAHD).
- The conference addressed issues in the fisheries sector, focusing on the accessibility of institutional finance through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.
- The KCC scheme was introduced to fishers and fish farmers in 2018-19 to provide capital support.
- It was promoted by the government through awareness campaigns and mobilization drives, which resulted in the issuance of 1.49 lakh KCC till date.
Highlights of Conference:
- It is emphasized in the conference, that KCC should be issued to both AHD and fisheries farmers, and on the first note they should be acknowledged.
- The pending applications should be dealt at earliest and return application should be taken up.
- The work undertaken by department officials along with district officers for promotion of KCC during Sagar Parikrama was appreciated.
- The district level reviews should be done to address ground issues.
- Banks should participate proactively in promoting the scheme and door to door mobilization for KCC should take place.
- The provisions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of stakeholders should be explored for livelihood generation.
Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme:-
- The KCC scheme was announced in the Budget of 1998-99 to fulfill the financial requirements of farmers at various stage of farming such as cultivation, agriculture inputs purchase, production needs, etc.
- The model scheme was prepared by NABARD on recommendations of V Gupta Committee.
- The scheme was further extended for allied and non-farm activities in 2004.
- In the Budget of 2018-19, government extended the facility of KCC to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers.
- Implementing Agencies under the Scheme-
- Commercial Banks
- Regional Rural Banks (RRB)
- Small Finance Banks
- Cooperatives
- Features-
- An ATM-enabled Rupay debit card with one-time documentation valid for 5 years with scope for annual renew.
- Linking of Aadhaar Number is mandatory.
- The KCC facility will help fisheries and animal husbandry farmers to meets their short-term requirements of rearing of animals, poultry birds, fish, shrimp, other aquatic organisms.
Source - Press Information Bureau