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Bank of Baroda (BoB), a major public sector bank, concluded the 7th edition of its flagship rural outreach programme, 'Baroda Kisan Pakhwada', sanctioning agriculture loans worth more than Rs 3,300 crore, the Bank said in a release on Thursday.
During the two-week period, the Bank established connections with more than 348,000 farmers nationwide and approved more than Rs 3,300 crore in agrilending loans. The programme, designed to strengthen the bank's relationship with the agricultural community, included a variety of events such as mega kisan melas, choupals, health camps, and other rural drives. The Bank demonstrated its close ties to the agricultural community by holding massive kisan melas, choupals, health camps, and other events, the release said. Through these activities, the Bank engaged directly with farmers, providing information on its agriculture lending products, as well as key government initiatives such as the Atmanirbhar Bharat Package, micro insurance, and social security schemes, the release added. The Bank also felicitated progressive farmers, entrepreneurs and customers for their contributions to the sector. This year's theme focused on leveraging technology to empower Indian farmers and the Bank introduced two digital initiatives - the Digital Baroda Kisan Credit Card (BKCC) and Digital Gold Loan to facilitate seamless access of credit to farmers. The 'Baroda Kisan Rath', a mobile outreach vehicle, travelled across India, raising awareness and sharing essential information about the bank's offerings and government schemes. In addition, the bank honoured progressive farmers, entrepreneurs, and customers for their significant contributions to the agricultural sector. This year's theme, 'Leveraging Technology to Empower Farmers', saw the introduction of two new digital initiatives: the Digital Baroda Kisan Credit Card (BKCC) and Digital Gold Loan. These innovations aim to provide seamless credit access and make banking services more convenient for farmers across the country. Speaking on the occasion, Lal Singh, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda said, "The success of Baroda Kisan Pakhwada underlines our unwavering commitment to India's agriculture community. Through our digital initiatives like Digital BKCC and Digital Gold Loan, our aim is to simplify access to credit, making banking services more accessible and convenient for farmers. Through the Baroda Kisan Pakhwada, we have helped create a strong awareness on the range of offerings available with the Bank, thus empowering farmers to take advantage of financial schemes that will fuel their growth." As of September 30, 2024, Bank of Baroda's agriculture lending portfolio stood at Rs 144,508 crore, reflecting a strong 10.6 per cent year-on-year growth, highlighting the bank's ongoing efforts to support the sector's development and financial inclusion, as per the release. (ANI)
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