Loan eligibility cards for tenant ryots in July

HYDERABAD: With governor ESL Narasimhan approving the AP Land Licensed Cultivators Ordinance 2011, the state government is gearing up to distribute loan eligibility cards to eligible tenant farmers next month. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is likely to launch the distribution between July 8 and 15 to enable tenant farmers to obtain crop loans, input subsidy, subsidised seeds and other facilities.According to an estimation, about 26 lakh tenant farmers registered with the government will receive the loan eligibility cards for the ensuing Kharif season. The government has made all arrangements in this regard and will announce guidelines for issuance of the cards on June 13. The chief minister will hold a detailed video-conference with  district collectors and officials of agriculture and revenue departments on Saturday. The government will provide a three-day training to tahsildars, deputy tahsildars, revenue inspectors and village revenue officers from June 18 on the procedure to be followed while issuing the loan eligibility cards.Between June 21 and 25, the applications forms will be made available for tenant farmers seeking the loan eligibility cards with village revenue officers and selected self-help groups. Farmers should submit their applications along with the required documents immediately. The village authorities will hold grama sabhas from June 26 to July 15 to scrutinise the applications in the presence of applicants, village heads and people's representatives. Any grievance will be addressed on the spot and the applications of ineligible persons will be rejected.“All the banks have been informed in advance and tenant farmers who hold the loan eligibility card can obtain loans up to Rs 1 lakh from these banks without any surety. They will be also eligible for subsidised seeds, input subsidy on damage to crop and other facilities provided by the state government,” revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here on Friday.The cards will be valid for a period of one year and renewed every year.