New Delhi: The inaugural meeting of the Central Level Banker Coordination Committee for the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) was convened at Vigyan Bhawan today. The session, chaired by Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of DAHD, saw participation from senior officials of DAHD, NABARD, SIDBI, NDDB, NCDC, and representatives from various lending banks.
In her opening remarks, Upadhyaya praised the banks for their significant contributions to the development of India’s livestock sector. Highlighting India’s status as the leading milk producer, the third-largest egg and fish producer, and the fifth-largest meat and poultry producer globally, she emphasized the crucial role these products play in addressing protein deficiency, food insecurity, and malnutrition. She underscored the importance of credit-linked schemes in driving India towards self-sufficiency, enhancing export potential, and boosting organized processing capabilities, with banks playing a pivotal role in this endeavor.
Additional Secretary (Cattle & Dairy), Varsha Joshi, further stressed the vital role of lending agencies in transforming India’s animal husbandry sector. Joint Secretary (NLM), Dr. O. P. Chaudhary, initiated the meeting by welcoming the participants and underscoring the livestock sector’s importance in India’s economy, which provides employment and supports livelihoods across the country. Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries & Administration), Sagar Mehra, delivered a presentation on the role of banks and lending institutions in supporting various schemes under the Department of Fisheries.
The meeting featured in-depth discussions on several DAHD schemes, including the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), the National Livestock Mission-Entrepreneurship Development Programme (NLM-EDP), and the Kisan Credit Card (KCC). The participants reviewed achievements, discussed guideline modifications, portal usage, pending issues, and the required support from lending institutions. Special emphasis was placed on addressing challenges such as limited access to finance for small entrepreneurs due to lack of collateral security, delays in sanctioning eligible projects, untimely submission of interest subvention claims and supporting documents, and feedback from lenders.