Nagaland Govt working on a new land laws: Kronu

NABARD releases State Focus Paper 2022-23 for Nagaland

Our Correspondent
Kohima | January 28

The Government of Nagaland is working to bring out new land laws of the state, informed Neiba Kronu, Nagaland’s Planning & Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, on January 28. 

It is time for the people to come closer, be more practical, think big and resolve all issues for better economic activities, he added, releasing the ‘State Focus Paper’ (SFP) 2022-23 for Nagaland brought out by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Nagaland Regional Office Dimapur.

Releasing the paper at the state level credit seminar 2022-23 for Nagaland here at Hotel De Oriental Grand, he further appreciated the NABARD for its willingness to help the farmers and coming closer to the people.

The economic condition of the state can change only with the support of NABARD, banks and entrepreneurs, Kronu maintained, further requesting the bankers, entrepreneurs and government officers to be more dedicated, trustful to each other and to build a new society with economic vibrancy.

He also stressed on the need to recover the economic losses of COVID-19 pandemic period through agriculture activities.

The Minister also noted that Naga farmers are faced with financial challenges for which financial institutions need to come forward in extending loans.

On the collateral issues due to land holding system and also difficulties in dealing with the bankers, Kronu said that SARFAESI Act has been already passed in the state Assembly so that the bankers can extend loan while they can sell the mortgaged land of the defaulter only to the indigenous people.   

'Agricultural sector a bright spot'
Tiakala Ao, General Manager (Officer-in-charge) NABARD, Nagaland Regional Office, Dimapur  said that alleviating rural poverty, developing rural areas and promoting rural prosperity have been the hallmarks of NABARD over the years.

Stating that since the agricultural sector continues to be one of the bright spots amidst this pandemic, she was optimistic that prioritising agricultural sector would be essential to ensure speedy economic recovery of the country.

By that same yardstick, prioritising agricultural sector in Nagaland will ensure a stronger recovery of the state's economy, she noted, adding that  agriculture and the rural sector continue to play an important role in the overall development of the economy and particularly so in the context of an agrarian state like Nagaland.

Over the years, the General Manager maintained that NABARD has expanded its wings to cover crucial activities in the field of agriculture and the rural sector and has successfully anchored its varied roles as a development agency, an institution supporting infrastructure and financial development including micro finance, and a planning and policy making body.

Bank credit is an important component for economic transformation and forms the backbone of development planning in the state, she underscored. 

Ao also informed that informed that NABARD has been preparing the Potential Linked Credit Plan (PLP) for each district since 1989-90 with the objective of assessing the exploitable potential for credit dispensation under various sectors.

“This is a systematic and comprehensive exercise carried out by adopting participative and consultative approach involving all stakeholders in the field of agriculture and rural development. Based on the aggregation of the credit potential of all the districts, the State Credit Plan is prepared which is presented in a document known as "State Focus Paper,” she said.

In tune with the rest of the country, Nagaland Regional office of NABARD, have prepared PLPs for all the districts of the state for the year 2022-23.

The potentials estimated therein have been aggregated for the state as a whole and are reflected in the SFP for Nagaland, which presents a comprehensive picture of the potentials available for development of the various activities under agriculture and the rural sector, the availability of inputs including credit, infrastructure and other linkages for tapping the potential during the next financial year i.e. 2022-23, Ao added. 

 “A major driver of private sector capital formation is Investment credit and the role of banks assumes importance as immediate thrust is required to raise their share in the total agricultural credit in the state,” she said.

While stating that credit flow to the agriculture and allied sector in the state has been showing an upward trend in the past three years, she also pointed out that  share of agri-term loans to total agriculture loans is just barely 19%. 
“There is a need for banks to step up their efforts in extending credit for investment activities,” she added. 

Ao also urged the banking fraternity to play a proactive role and double their efforts in improving the credit flow to all sectors, and at the same time requested the banker friends to focus on the agriculture and allied sector in their credit programmes as this sector still engages the largest workforce in the state.

Credit potential of Rs 936.08 cr for priority sectors 
“The SFP has assessed a credit potential of Rs. 936.08 crore for the priority sectors for the year 2022-23 of which Rs 497.11 crore has been assessed for disbursement under the agriculture and allied sector,” she said.

She also made an ‘earnest’ request to the banks to incorporate the credit potentials as indicated in the PLPs for the year 2022-23 while framing their respective branch wise credit plans to give meaning and shape to the entire credit planning exercise.

She exuded confidence that the SFP will be of immense use to the government departments and banks in formulating their plans to promote sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural development and for securing rural prosperity in Nagaland.

P Bulte, DGM, NABARD also made a power point presentation on SFP 2022-23.

Alpha  Pou, coordinator, State Level Bankers’ Committee; Sachin Jaiswal, Additional Secretary Department of Agriculture; VV Narayana, Chairman, Nagaland Rural Bank; Neichute Doulo, CEO Entrepreneurs Associates; Nezelu Nyekha, Executive Director Chakhesang Women Welfare Society; and Nagato Aye, Programme Officer, North East Initiative Development Agency, Kohima  head  office also spoke at the seminar.

The programme was chaired by Poji, AGM (DD) NABARD while vote of thanks was proposed by HC Biswas, AGM, NABARD.