Thiruvananthapuram 21-12-2011: Steps will be taken to sign the Vaidyanathan Committee agreement that deals with the functioning of co-operative institutions of the state. Recommendations of the committee will be accepted and sanction will be obtained from the Central Finance Ministry, said CM. He was inaugurating the State Credit Seminar 2012-13 organised by NABARD here.

CM said that the State Co-operative Sector suffered heavy loss by not signing the Vaidyanathan Committee agreement and by doing so the co-operative sector will get a grant of Rs 1000 crores. Though the time has elapsed for signing the agreement, steps will be mooted for the same after consulting the Central Finance Ministry.

CM said that request has been placed in the meeting of the Finance Ministers of southern states in Bangalore for granting interest free loans for paddy cultivation and coconut farming. He added that lack of insurance schemes for agriculture has affected this sector very badly.

Minister K P Mohanan said that Agri Business Centres will be opened in Kozhikode, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. Minister also released the State Credit Plan 2012-13 of NABARD.

NABARD Chief General Manager K C Sasidhar said that Rs 600 crore has been sanctioned as loan for the State Handloom Sector.

Additional Chie Secretary K Jayakumar, Planning Principal Secretary Subatra Biswas, RBI Regional Director Suma Varma and SBI Chief General Manager V Murali were present at the occasion.