CHANDIGARH: The support of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard) to agriculture and rural development of Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh has touched a record figure of Rs.6,208 crore during 2007-08, up by 18 per cent over Rs.5,244 crore achieved during 2006-07.

An official release said, by this Rs.6,208 crore, Rs.1,299 crore (21 per cent) constituted support to Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Co-operative Banks towards long term investment loans for capital formation while Rs.4,306 crore (69 per cent) in supporting Co-operative Banks and Regional Rural Banks to meet the short term credit needs of the farmers for carrying out the seasonal agricultural operations, said an official release issued here.

An amount of Rs.603 crore (10 per cent) under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) spent for creation of various rural infrastructure like roads, bridges, irrigation, drinking water supply in Punjab and Haryana.

During 2007-08, Rs.10.18 crore was released to Haryana to strengthen Cooperative credit institutions in the state.

It said that under the RIDF, 58 Irrigation Projects, 23 Roads, 103 Bridges and 12 Rural Drinking Water Supply Schemes aggregating financial outlay of Rs.1,256.59 crore have been sanctioned.

When completed, it would ensure regular irrigation to 488,332 hectares of land, 267 km of road and 4,069 meters of bridges providing connectivity to 1,425 villages with a population of 58 lakh, 201 Rural Marketing Centers and 69 Urban Marketing Centres, and ensure potable water to 259,349 SC households in 2,139 villages. Concurrently, these schemes will generate non recurring employment of 504.33 lakh man days, it said.