The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned nearly ₹15,056 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for 6,175 projects across Haryana. The funding will support the development of rural infrastructure, including irrigation systems, road connectivity, drinking water supply and other essential public assets, officials said.
The achievements were highlighted during NABARD’s 45th Foundation Day celebrations held in Chandigarh, where Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi attended as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, Rastogi said NABARD has emerged as a key partner in accelerating rural transformation and strengthening the state’s agricultural economy. He stressed that robust rural infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, financial inclusion and empowered community institutions are essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Recalling his tenure as Finance Secretary, Rastogi said NABARD’s concessional financial assistance had enabled the timely execution of several critical rural infrastructure projects benefiting farmers and rural communities. He also reiterated the Haryana government’s commitment to digitising all Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and making them financially viable to strengthen the rural cooperative ecosystem.
Calling for greater collaboration, the Chief Secretary urged bankers and government officials to mentor Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and other rural institutions to promote inclusive rural development. During the event, he released a coffee table book highlighting NABARD’s development interventions in Haryana and a Unit Cost Book for agricultural lending and project appraisal.
Speaking on the occasion, Nivedita Tiwary, Chief General Manager, NABARD Haryana, said the institution has computerised and digitised 710 PACS and promoted 131 Farmer Producer Organisations across the state. These FPOs have brought together 63,369 farmers, including 14,017 women, enabling better market access and improved value realisation. She added that NABARD has extended ₹11.12 crore in credit support to 28 FPOs and provided ₹60.38 lakh as equity grant assistance to nine FPOs. The institution has also supported climate-resilient initiatives such as watershed development, groundwater management, micro-irrigation, Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) and vegetable cluster development, while training over 5,010 rural women in various livelihood activities since 2022-23.
