Estimate impact on farmers of less rainfall : Pranab

JANGIPUR - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Sunday asked banks to survey the impact of less rainfall in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar so that loans could be extended to the affected farmers for the next crop.

“We have to assess how fast farmers can start work on the rabi crop and what amount of loan they need,” he said while inaugurating a mobile banking van with a biometric ATM of Indian Bank at Jangipur in Murshidabad district.

The loans extended would help the affected farmers to start sowing the rabi crop early.

Bihar was declared drought-hit this year and 11 districts of West Bengal were declared drought-like.