The 43rd Foundation Day of NABARD was celebrated at Hotel Polo Towers, Agartala, on Friday. The event was chaired by Apurba Roy, Secretary, Finance and Agriculture, Government of Tripura, and saw the presence of notable figures such as Anil S Kotmire, GM/OIC, NABARD Tripura RO, Sudip Bhatacharyya, DGM, RBI Tripura, and Satyendra Singh, Chairman, TGB, among others.
Diganta Kumar Das, DGM NABARD, recounted NABARD’s significant milestones, including the introduction of Self Help Groups (SHG), Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), Joint Liability Groups (JLG), and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). He highlighted the progress in digitizing Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks nationwide and mentioned initiatives in Tripura aimed at obtaining GI tags for local products like Matabari peda, Risha, and Pachra. Das emphasized NABARD’s role in promoting FPOs and ensuring sustainable livelihoods in rural Tripura.
Roy praised NABARD’s efforts in enhancing infrastructure in Tripura and underscored the collaborative efforts of NABARD and the State Government in bolstering the state’s economy. He pointed out the need for integrated farming to make agriculture profitable in Tripura and highlighted the potential for agro-based industries, particularly focusing on Pineapple and Mango. Roy stressed the importance of developing agricultural infrastructure, especially for micro-irrigation during off-seasons, to support crop irrigation year-round.
Anil S Kotmire emphasized the need to significantly expand the state’s credit portfolio to boost the agricultural economy. He urged major banks to support entrepreneurs in establishing demonstration units in sectors like cold storage, large warehouses, agro-processing, and horticulture. Kotmire noted the potential for developing Rural Haats in every block to promote agripreneurs and stressed the crucial role of NGOs and FPOs in the agri-economy due to the small per capita land holdings, advocating for the large-scale promotion of FPOs.
The event also saw the flagging off of two Mobile Vans sanctioned by NABARD by the Hon’ble Secretary. Additionally, a unit cost booklet on investment activities for FY 2024-25 published by NABARD was released, and the best-performing Bank Sakhis working under TRLM and NABARD were recognized and awarded tokens of appreciation.
