Bhubaneswar, Apr 29 (PTI) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development said on Friday that it disbursed Rs 31,786 crore of loans in Odisha during the 2021-22 fiscal, an increase of 40 per cent over the previous year.

The financial support comprised Rs 14,077 crore to banks for lending towards crop and term loans, and Rs 3,031 crore to the state government under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

Also Read | Supreme Court Directs Release of 62-years-old Pakistan National Lodged in Detention Centre.

Nabard has disbursed Rs 14,485 crore for supporting paddy procurement operations in the state in FY22, according to a release.

The support under the RIDF to Odisha is the "highest in the country".

Also Read | India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Unique, Prompted by Moral Principles and Emotional Bonds, Says EAM S Jaishankar.

It sanctioned an assistance of Rs 4,013 crore for the construction of 243 new rural roads, 263 bridges, a medium irrigation facility, 9,836 minor irrigation and six flood protection projects, as well as nine initiatives, which are expected to provide clean and safe drinking water to 17 lakh rural population across the state.

Nabard is implementing 69 tribal development projects, supporting horticulture-based livelihoods on 46,000 acres and benefiting more than 50,000 tribal families in 24 districts at present, according to the release.

A grant of Rs 34 crore was provided to banks to expand banking touchpoints in rural areas and for creating awareness of financial inclusion, it said.

In the current fiscal, the development bank is committed to increase its support to the state government for creation of more rural infrastructure.

It will focus on the integrated development of rural livelihoods on a large scale in Odisha, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)