People's Democracy

Employees Demand NABARD’s Strengthening

ON June 23, a delegation of the All India NABARD Employees' Association  (AINBEA), led by its president Harish Rawat, met the minister of food for agriculture Sharad Pawar and placed before him certain suggestions to strengthen NABARD and ensure smooth flow of rural credit.

The suggestions included an enhancement of the Reserve Bank of India's contribution to the NABARD through National Rural Credit - Long Term Operations (NRC-LTO) and National Rural Credit - Stabilisation (NRC-Stab), General Line of Credit Fund, etc; waiver of tax liability of the NABARD; restoration of the original status of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) which was delinked last year; and ensuring smooth industrial relations in the NABARD.

The AINBEA delegation also met CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Prakash Karat and S R Pillai, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan and other political leaders, economists like Professors Prabhat Patnaik, Utsa Patnaik and others, All India Kisan Sabha general secretary K Varadarajan, CITU secretary W R Varadarajan, etc, to discuss the relevant issues. Besides, the Kolkata Unit of the AINBEA also met Dr Asim Dasgupta, finance minister in the government of West Bengal, and some MPs. The minister and various leaders assured the delegation to look into the matter and do the needful.

Apart from the AINBEA president Harish Rawat, The delegation consisted of its general secretary Vijay Bhosale, vice presidents Jose T Abraham and Rana Mitra, secretary P V Deshpande and its Delhu unit’s secretary Neeraj Vachher. (INN)