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The Sixteenth Meeting of the National Advisory Council (NAC) was chaired by Smt. Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi today and was attended by nine Members of the Council.
Discussions took place on the “Revival of Rural Cooperative Credit Institutions” in the context of the commitment in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) to double the flow of Rural Credit in three years and to substantially expand the coverage of Small and Marginal Farmers by institutional lending. The Report of the Task Force on the Revival of the Rural Cooperative Credit Institutions (Vaidyanathan Committee) was discussed. It was agreed that the NAC would forward recommendations to the Government of India supporting the reform package suggested by the Task Force. Attention would be drawn to in-built guarantees to increase coverage for small and marginal farmers and for integrating the requirements of women self help groups in various parts of the country. The centrality of legal and institutional reforms would be emphasized. The NAC also underscored the need to pay special attention to expand institutional credit in the North East where community ownership of land is common.
The technical, social and market issues in respect of “Regeneration of Wastelands” were discussed. It was noted that these related to the regeneration of different types of wastelands and cover agro-forestry, farm forestry and industrial plantations. Most of the problems were cross-sectoral and changes are called for in the manner of functioning of the field machinery at the Central and State levels. It was decided that the NAC would take up specific action points with the Government of India with a view to providing sharper and urgent focus to the implementation of the Wasteland Development Programmes. It was also necessary to introduce the technologies which are now available through various scientific organizations in the country.
The Council discussed the issues pertaining to a new National Policy for the Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Project-affected Families and related matters. It was agreed that these would be studied further to facilitate the consideration of a composite Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Bill in the Government of India, accompanied by effective monitoring mechanisms.
YSR/DS/HS/SKS
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