20th February 2011
Srinagar
J&K Bank conducts awareness camps in South Kashmir
To educate fruit-growers and those associated with fruit trade about its recently launched new Apple Advance Scheme, J&K Bank today organized Awareness Camps at five places viz, Circuit House Hurpora (Shopian), Zonal Office Pulwama, Dak Bungalow Chawalgam (Kulgam), Town Hall Achabal, (Anantnag) and Community Hall Bijbehara (Anantnag) here in South Kashmir.
All the camps witnessed a thick gathering of people who participated with festive fervor to educate themselves about the beneficial features of the scheme besides its revised scale and scope of finance.
Commenting upon the camps, President and Secretary J&K Bank Parvez Ahmad said, "The immediate objective of conducting such awareness programmes is to educate the grass-root growers and the people associated with fruit trade about provisions of such schemes that are developed only after taking into consideration their needs right from the blossoms to post harvest maintenance and marketing."
The process shall facilitate the broader and important goal of promoting horticulture sector in the valley so that its real potential is realized, he said.
While speaking on the occasion at Shopian, the bank's Vice President, Kashmir South, Mohammad Afzal Khan, highlighted the efforts of the bank in providing adequate finance to the fruit growers. "It has been the endeavor of the bank to provide hassle free finance to horticulture industry which is the mainstay of our economy", he added. The ADC Shopian, A. U. Simnani and Chief Horticulture Officer , Shabir Ahmed Zargar lauded the bank for providing tailor-made financial solutions to the people. M.A. Suharwardy Cluster Head IV, while speaking on the occasion highlighted various features of the revised scheme. The speakers exhorted upon the fruit growers to avail of the benefits of the scheme which, among other things, seeks to protect the growers from high cost private borrowing.
The Awareness camps were alsoaddressed by M.H Gatoo, SEM Credit, Gh Mohiuddin Rather, Cluster Head I; M.Y. Dhobi, Cluster Head II, and A. R. Hakeem, Cluster Head III at Pulwama, Achabal, Bijbehara and Kulgam respectively.
Notably, new Apple Advance Scheme, which was recently launched by the Bank's Chairman & CEO at an impressive function at the Bank's Corporate Headquarters, has been structured according to the requisite needs of different types of borrowers. Like the amount of finance for a grower has been fixed at Rs 2.73 Lacs (Per Acre of orchard) while as for Local Traders/Arthias and Commission/Forwarding Agents the finance has been fixed as Rs 242 (Per box of 20 Kgs) and Rs 126 (Per box of 20 Kgs) respectively.
The Scheme has for the first time incorporated provisions for additional finance for cold storage of produce at Rs 20/- per box besides finances for all production/input costs from fertilizers to Post harvest maintenance and Marketing costs from packing to transportation.
Fruit-growers, traders and officials of Horticulture department present on the occasion appreciated the Scheme. Besides some growers and traders putting forth some suggestions for what they called as inputs for improvements in the scheme. . They thanked the bank for conducting such programs and requested that similar camps may also be conducted in future.
The vice president reassured the gathering that the recently revised Apple Advance Scheme was not the last and final word on finance of fruit but was open to genuine improvements.
All the camps witnessed a thick gathering of people who participated with festive fervor to educate themselves about the beneficial features of the scheme besides its revised scale and scope of finance.
Commenting upon the camps, President and Secretary J&K Bank Parvez Ahmad said, "The immediate objective of conducting such awareness programmes is to educate the grass-root growers and the people associated with fruit trade about provisions of such schemes that are developed only after taking into consideration their needs right from the blossoms to post harvest maintenance and marketing."
The process shall facilitate the broader and important goal of promoting horticulture sector in the valley so that its real potential is realized, he said.
While speaking on the occasion at Shopian, the bank's Vice President, Kashmir South, Mohammad Afzal Khan, highlighted the efforts of the bank in providing adequate finance to the fruit growers. "It has been the endeavor of the bank to provide hassle free finance to horticulture industry which is the mainstay of our economy", he added. The ADC Shopian, A. U. Simnani and Chief Horticulture Officer , Shabir Ahmed Zargar lauded the bank for providing tailor-made financial solutions to the people. M.A. Suharwardy Cluster Head IV, while speaking on the occasion highlighted various features of the revised scheme. The speakers exhorted upon the fruit growers to avail of the benefits of the scheme which, among other things, seeks to protect the growers from high cost private borrowing.
The Awareness camps were alsoaddressed by M.H Gatoo, SEM Credit, Gh Mohiuddin Rather, Cluster Head I; M.Y. Dhobi, Cluster Head II, and A. R. Hakeem, Cluster Head III at Pulwama, Achabal, Bijbehara and Kulgam respectively.
Notably, new Apple Advance Scheme, which was recently launched by the Bank's Chairman & CEO at an impressive function at the Bank's Corporate Headquarters, has been structured according to the requisite needs of different types of borrowers. Like the amount of finance for a grower has been fixed at Rs 2.73 Lacs (Per Acre of orchard) while as for Local Traders/Arthias and Commission/Forwarding Agents the finance has been fixed as Rs 242 (Per box of 20 Kgs) and Rs 126 (Per box of 20 Kgs) respectively.
The Scheme has for the first time incorporated provisions for additional finance for cold storage of produce at Rs 20/- per box besides finances for all production/input costs from fertilizers to Post harvest maintenance and Marketing costs from packing to transportation.
Fruit-growers, traders and officials of Horticulture department present on the occasion appreciated the Scheme. Besides some growers and traders putting forth some suggestions for what they called as inputs for improvements in the scheme. . They thanked the bank for conducting such programs and requested that similar camps may also be conducted in future.
The vice president reassured the gathering that the recently revised Apple Advance Scheme was not the last and final word on finance of fruit but was open to genuine improvements.