Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has urged the banks to extend hassle free credit loans to farmers and entrepreneurs in a big way to contribute towards the overall economic development of the state.

Banks and financial institutions must ensure adequate and timely credit to our farmers and entrepreneurs as extending credit loans help in poverty alleviation contributing towards economic development, Gogoi said while inaugurating the State Level Credit Camp of Assam Gramin Vikash Bank in Guwahati.

“More and more banks must come forward to extend loans to rural people as the state cannot develop if the rural areas in which 80 per cent of our population live lags behind,” he said.

The chief minister underscored the need for a scientific and need-based approach to ensure optimum use of the state’s natural resources.

“We have to ensure easy access to modern technology and know-how as well as timely availability of loans to the farmers for optimum use of our cultivable land. Much headway has been made on the agriculture front, especially in production of rice and pulses, there is much scope for achieving bigger targets,” he said.

Gogoi said though the number of Kishan Credit Cards (KCCs) have gone up considerably from 8,000 in 2001 to 1.33 lakh in 2012 coupled with the disbursement of agricultural loans from a mere Rs eight crore to Rs 600 crore, the state still lags behind in comparison to the major states of the country.