Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma opened the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund workshop in Guwahati on July 25. Held at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir, the event drew nearly 5,000 farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, and Farmer Producer Organizations. Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Pijush Hazarika oversaw final preparations on July 24 to ensure the event ran smoothly.
The state government marked the occasion by sanctioning Rs 1,181.13 crore in AIF loans to 893 beneficiaries. Officials handed over formal loan cheques during the ceremony. These funds aim to modernize farm logistics, build cold storage, and improve market access. Hazarika explained that the scheme provides institutional loans up to Rs 2 crore with a 3% interest subvention. He said, "These infrastructure investments will boost income opportunities for local Annadatas and take Assam's rural economy to new heights."
This push aligns with the national vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. With the central government expanding the national AIF corpus by Rs 1 lakh crore, state leadership expects more local producers to tap into these resources. The workshop focused on leveraging the scheme to turn farming into a sustainable, financially rewarding business.
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