Kisan Credit Card scheme: Modi government to target one-crore farmers in 100 days

Kisan Credit Card scheme: The Narendra Modi government has given a special focus on rural development so that the majority of the population living in villages can access better livelihood. And, in this context, the Kisan Credit Card scheme, which was originally launched in 1998, has also got a special focus. Under this scheme, all farmers, who are eligible for the Kisan Credit Card, will be issued a smart card-cum-debit card in addition to the Kisan Credit Card. Based on the annual review, banks determine the validity of the existing credit card, and credit limits can be increased at the issuing bank’s discretion. 

Since the Kisan Credit Card scheme plays a key role in helping out farmer in the hour of need, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently held a meeting with counterparts of all States/UTs and discussed the implementation of this scheme, urging them to organise village –wise campaign to cover one crore farmers under Kisan Credit Card Scheme within next hundred days.

Currently, there are 6.92 crore live KCCs against 14.5 crore operational landholding, and the recent initiatives for KCC saturation include adding farmers engaged in Animal Husbandry and Fisheries; removal of inspection ledger folio charges and processing fee of loan under KCC; raising limit of collateral fee on existing agriculture loan from 1 lakh to 1.6 lakhs. 

Notably, all Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries of State/UT Administration have also been advised to launch KCC saturation drive. During the proposed saturation drive, campaigns will be organised bank wise or village wise to collect KCC application forms. States like Gujrat, Maharashtra, UP, Chhattisgarh, WB, Bihar, Jharkhand, HP, J&K and NER states have already been identified where KCC penetration was found lagging. 

If an individual wants to have Kisan Credit Card, he/she needs to submit the documents including identity proof such as PAN card, Voter ID, Driving License, Passport, etc to get a KCC. For your eligibility, you need to fulfil the following conditions: 

1. You should an individual farmer who is an owner-cultivator. 
2. You should belong to a group and are joint borrowers, and the group has to be owner-cultivators. 
3. You should also be a sharecropper, tenant farmer, or an oral lessee. 
4. You should belong to a self-help group (SHG) or joint liability group (JLG) of sharecroppers, farmers, tenant farmers, etc.