COVID – 19 related initiatives

State government initiatives:

1. A special meeting of State Level Bankers committee was conducted to identify and
address the specific issues related to availability of credit to Agriculture & allied sector, MSME
and other sectors of the rural economy
2. Several exemptions were given for improving and reviving the lost tempo of credit off-
take and for giving momentum for restarting the agriculture and allied activities, MSME and
retail trade.
3. Constitution of a State Supply Chain Management Cell (SSCMC) for supervision of
supply chain management and handling various issues and obtaining feedback from
concerned department involved in supply chain management of various essential commodities
and agriculture input in the State.
NABARD initiatives:
Since the impact of Covid – 19 Pandemic is hitting more to the rural poor being most
vulnerable section, NABARD’s various initiatives at grass root level, development and
promotional projects in rural areas assume important role.
1. NABARD is following and implementing various guidelines issued by Govt. of India
and Reserve bank of India regarding the Relief Packages, moratorium of three months on
payment of all instalments in respect of all term loans (including agricultural term loans, retail
and crop loans etc.)
2. NABARD, through the District Development managers and Project facilitating
agencies (PFAs), has brought some relief to distressed people. Under Farm Sector
Development Projects, NABARD has undertaken several initiatives such as addressing food
and shelter problems of landless families in project areas and migrants, preparation and
distribution of masks and sanitary products, skill development and employment
opportunities, coordination of relief efforts and awareness creation, leverage FPO to keep the
supply chain intact etc.
3. NABARD has launched a pan India Sanitation Literacy Campaign (SLC) to promote
literacy on WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in 2,000 villages across the country. This
initiative is intended to give an impetus and propagate the benefits of usage of household
sanitation facilities among the rural masses in general and improving health and livelihood
status of the villagers in particular.
4. In a bid to ensure unhindered flow of credit to the last mile in rural areas hit by COVID-
19 pandemic, NABARD has introduced a dedicated debt and credit guarantee product titled
“Structured Finance and Partial Guarantee Program to NBFC-MFIs” with Vivriti Capital and
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank. This will enhance access to sustainable finance for
microenterprises and low-income households. The program entails providing partial
guarantee on pooled loans extended to small and mid-sized MFIs. It will help facilitate Rs
2,500 crore funding in the initial phase and is expected to be scaled up. The program is
expected to cover over 1 million households across 28 states and 650 districts. This facility will
catalyse much-needed financing to millions of households, agricultural and business markets
to sustain in the post COVID-19 environment.
5. It was decided to allow extension of phasing of projects sanctioned under RIDF XX up
to 30 Sept 2020 and the disbursements up to 31 December 2020. The tranche got extended
further upto 30 September 2021 (Physical) and 31 December 2021 (Financial).
6. To ensure unhindered flow of credit from banks to farmers to carry out their
agricultural operations and to overcome the liquidity crunch due to COVID-19 pandemic
related lockdown, RBI had extended Special Liquidity Facility to Rural Financial Institution
including NBFC/NBFC-MFIs through NABARD to the tune of Rs. 20,000 Cr. Out of this
NABARD has released ₹2200 crore to RRBs and Cooperative Banks and ₹ 385 Cr to NBFC-
MFI in the State.
7. Common COVID initiatives by FPOs & POPIs – i) Distributed dry ration to the needy
families – Availability of food at affordable rates/for free, hygienic conditions was important.
Also since many daily wage earners could not earn, availability and affordability was the most
pressing issue faced by Bottom of Pyramid population. (ii) Information, Education &
Communication activities – Creating awareness about COVID related doubts was also an
important aspect during the pandemic so as to avoid unnecessary rumours and panic
situations among people. (iii) Created awareness programmes on vaccination (iv) Virtual
health centres – As the physical mobility was restricted, virtual health consultation to provide
guidance for primary health issues/symptoms were created. (v) Free consultation – Cost free
health consultation for the needy was a highly appreciated as it served the needy with the
required medical attention while taking in view the monetary limitation they faced. (vi)
Distributed hygiene kit – Maintaining the basic hygiene was the key preventive measure to
avoid COVID infection. Thus, hygiene kits were an important step to reduce spread the spread
of the virus. (vii) Small monetary contribution to the COVID death cases – Certain monetary
benefit was allotted per casualty family as a part of relief (viii) Help desk for ambulance
services & COVID medicines – A help desk to guide people over the process to avail the
required services and medical help to people (ix) Distributed fruits to the COVID warriors
(Police, health & hygiene departments) - Just one of the ways to show a gesture of thankfulness
and moral upliftment of the frontline workers. (x) Bangalore rural FPOs supply the vegetables
to the Apartments – In an effort to ease lives of customer by making basic life necessities
available at doorstep as well as help farmer earn income through the supply chain.
8. COVID relief initiatives taken by FPOs and Agency –
(i) CHAITANYA RURAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY, SHIVAMOGGA (DIST)
 Appointed as a Nodal agency for Shivamogga district by GoK RD &PR
Dept. for Covid-19
 Information, Education & Communication activities
 Supplied dry ration for about 100 families
 All staff involved in IEC activities on awareness of importance of
vaccination Strictly follow the govt. rules on Covid-19 rules
ii.ORGANISATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE, MYSORE(DIST)
 Distributed dry ration kit to the poor families
 Supporting the covid-19 positive death person with monetary support
of Rs.4000 per deceased person family
 Distributed hygiene kit to the needy families as a measure of basic
preventive actions
iii.KOLAR TALUK VAYALAGAM RAITHARA OKKUTA, KOLAR(DIST)
 Virtual health centre to provide basic health consultancy to people
 Free consultation on covid-19 so as to make the health service available
mainly for poor and needy individuals
 Vaccination awareness programme
9. OFDD: (i) Skill Development Program on Mask making: To restore the livelihood of
the rural women of Sirsi taluka and to meet out the demand for masks in the market,
OFDD, Karnataka RO, sanctioned a Skill Development program to NGO- SCODWES
(Sahyadri Community Development and Women Empowerment Society), Uttar Karnataka
on 12.5.2020, with a grant support of Rs 23,800/- to impart training to 30 women in Sirsi
taluka. The training was conducted successfully with the financial support of NABARD.
With this effective training session, these women have got a bulk order of 7500 masks
immediately after the training period. (ii) SHE (Sanitisation and Hygiene Entrepreneurs)
Program- Need for sanitization services in villages offers a significant livelihood
opportunity for women in the informal workforce. OFDD , Karnataka RO sanctioned a skill
development program on 8.7.2020 to Sambhav foundation with a grant support of
Rs4,36,000/-to train 100 rural women in entrepreneurship in vehicles sanitization and
management. The agency has successfully trained and certified 100 rural women as
sanitation and hygiene entrepreneurs (SHE). These women earn around Rs.350 to Rs.450
per day.(iii) Repair and maintenance of farm equipments program Small and Marginal
Farmers, rural women and youth face many challenges, especially during the COVID-19
pandemic. On one hand, landless agricultural laborers and unemployed rural youth are hit
hard during covid 19 pandemic due to mobility restrictions and economic disruption and
on the other hand, farm mechanization initiatives of small and marginal farmers are
affected due to lack of awareness about the new farm equipments, as also constraints in
access to servicing of farm equipment needing repair, rendering them to resort to manual
work or face disruption in farm activities. The diploma holders and graduates in the field
of agriculture migrate from the villages to the towns for employment. OFDD Karnataka on
23.12.2020, sanctioned a grant of Rs 3,03,375/- to ICAR- KVK, Kalaburagi to impart
training on farm equipment repair and maintenance to selected 25 such rural youth. A
twenty-one days’ residential training program was conducted from 24.2.2021 to 16.3.2021
at College of Agricultural Engineering, Raichur, and was attended by 25 rural youth of
Kalaburagi district. (iv) Conduct of Grameena habba 2021: The rural artisans and weavers
were the worst sufferers due to the pandemic. Their businesses were severely affected. An
exhibition cum sale of Products produced by rural artisans/entrepreneurs/farmers, etc.
from Karnataka and few other states- (total 37 stalls), was conducted in Mantri Square
mall from 22 to 26 January 2021. This event was organized to boost the morale of the
artisans/farmers and also to bring their business back on track. This event gave them the
opportunity to connect to the business network. The exhibition was a success and drew
huge crowd. The total sales amounted to Rs1.95 crore, including bulk orders. FPOs like
Bhoomika (Millets), Bhoosiri (Millets), Anjura SHG (Fig products), Pottery point society
(earthern items) got long term business associations of Rs 1 crore.
10. DFIBT: (i) Demonstration Van for Banking Technology - NABARD, under Financial
Inclusion Fund provides grant assistance for demonstration vans for banking technology
to various Banks (RCBs and RRBs). This dedicated and exclusive mobile van has played a
phenomenal role in ensuring doorstep delivery of banking products, financial and non-
financial services and transactions at the financially excluded areas and more so during
the pandemic scenario. A total of 27 such vans have been sanctioned to various RCBs and
RRBs in the State. With a shift towards branchless banking, the system ensured
continuation of banking and non-banking services while assuring adherence to COVID
safety measures. (ii) Micro ATMs/ PoS/ mPoS machines – Under FIF grant assistance has
been provided for setting up of the micro-ATMs and PoS/ mPoS machines by the banks at
its branches, PACS, co-operative credit societies, schools etc. These devices helped in
uninterrupted and safe digital transactions in the pandemic scenario. (iii) Onboarding to
BBPS and support for Green PIN facility – FIF also supports banks for onboarding to BBPS
and for setting up of Green PIN facility thus promoting digital transactions and ensuring
safety during the pandemic.
11. MCID As the grass root level channel partners, the Project Implementing Agencies
(PIAs) of MCID programmes like LEDP/MEDP, had put their efforts to bring much relief
to the beneficiaries, esp SHG members, who belongs to the rural poor sector, in a number
of ways. PIAs were utilising the SHG members to prepare low cost masks and supplying
the same to the rural areas during lockdown. STIERUA, Bellary, a PIA had been sanctioned
with an LEDP on cloth mask making, which they have completed last year and were able
to deliver good impact during this lockdown also.