FactsBox: Odisha Balaram Yojana

The Odisha Government recently launched Balaram Yojana to provide crop loans to landless farmers. The new scheme will help landless cultivators get loan through joint liability groups.

Key Features

The scheme has set target to provide farm loans to 7 lakh landless farmers in next two years. The Institute of Management of Agricultural Extension (IMAGE) is to coordinate with the state government to implement the scheme. The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) is to coordinate at district level.

Funds

The State Government has allocated Rs 1,040 crores to implement the scheme. Around 7,000 branches of banks and agricultural cooperative societies will coordinate the implementation of the scheme. The scheme is to be implemented in collaboration with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

What is ATMA?

ATMA was implemented in states such as Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Punjab. ATMA was established to strengthen farmer linkages, increase quality and type of technologies and move towards shared ownership of agricultural technology system. It was launched in 2005.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2020