Date:28/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/11/28/stories/2007112850570600.htm

Back Kisan credit cards total 66.56 million

Our Bureau

Mumbai, Nov. 27 The total number of kisan credit cards issued by various banks has touched 66.56 million, according to the Report on Trends and Progress of Banking in India 2006-07 released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today.

The number of cards issued in 2006-07 alone was slightly lower at 7.47 million compared with 8 million cards issued in the previous year. On an average, about 9 million cards have been issued during the previous five years.

Of the 66.56 million cards, co-operative banks have issued about 32.71 million cards. Regional rural banks have issued about 12 million cards while commercial banks about 25.5 million cards.

The report noted that the state-wise progress in the implementation of the kisan credit card (KCC) scheme was better in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. These States accounted for 75 per cent of the total cards issued by banks. The report also noted that the progress was tardy in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and in the North-Eastern States.