Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) has disbursed Taka 1010.42 crore as loan for boosting rural economy as well as create employment through enhancing agricultural and non-agricultural production everywhere in the country’s 16 northwest districts during the last 2010-11 fiscal. Side by side with the disbursement, the bank has also realized Taka 1190.91 crore including Taka 320.04 crore classified and other outstanding loans.
RAKUB Managing Director Pradip Kumar Dutta said the bank had set a target of disbursing Taka 1140 crore as crop loan and recovery of Taka 1090 crore including Taka 657.66 crore classified loan through 365 branches in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions.
To build a poverty-free Bangladesh, he said the bank has enhanced its lending activities in multipurpose potential fields for boosting agriculture production, intensifying food security and flourishing poultry and dairy sectors to reduce protein deficiency.
Pradip Dutta said Taka 444.59 crore for crops, Taka 18.26 crore for fisheries, Taka 56.64 crore for livestock, Taka 13.49 crore for farm and irrigation machinery, Taka 22.76 crore for small and medium enterprise, Taka 271.69 for trading, Taka 45.57 for agro-based industry and Taka 31.27 crore for poverty alleviation were also disbursed during the same period.
Besides, Taka 4.73 crore has been disbursed at two per cent subsidized interest rate for boosting the production of import alternative cash crops like pulse, spice and maize.
The bank has also been disbursing loan for establishing solar power, biogas and waste refinement plants on a priority basis for the greater interest of public health conservation and maintaining ecological balance together with addressing the power and gas deficiency through using the eco-friendly alternative fuel.
For the last couple of years, special credit is being disbursed among the share-croppers and marginal farmers at open places with the main thrust of enhancing credit-flow towards the potential crop production sector. Emphasis is being given to bringing all the landless, marginal and small share-croppers, who are unable for supportive deposit, under its credit facilities in phases.
Dutta said the landless farmers and share-croppers cultivate significant portion of the total farming field.
As the largest development partner in agriculture as well as agro-based industry sector of the northwest region, currently the bank has adopted multipurpose development programs, which are being implemented at the grassroots to make the credit programs easier. “We are giving highest emphasis on enhancing credit flow towards exploring the potential sectors of the region,” Pradip Datta said adding that the level best efforts are on to ensure transparency and accountability in all the banking activities.
Side by side with implementing various credit programmes, he said, the bank has been arranging different kinds of grassroots level motivation programs including farmers training aimed at enhancing consciousness among the rural farmers and the masses regarding procurement of agricultural loan along with repaying those on due time.
Importance has been given to increasing relations between the bankers and the customers especially the rural farmers for boosting farm production, he added.
As the largest development partner in the agricultural sector of the northwest Bangladesh, the amount of bank’s credit balance and deposit has been cumulated to Taka 3530.11 crore and Taka 1939.12 crore respectively at present.

News: The Independent/ Bangladesh/ July-10-2011