NABARD assesses Rs 65,916 crore priority sector credit potential for Uttarakhand in FY 2026-27

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has assessed a credit potential of Rs 65,916 crore in the priority sector for Uttarakhand in the financial year 2026–27. It reflects a 20.51 per cent increase over the previous year. The assessment has been made by NABARD in its State Focus Paper (SFP) 2026–27 that was released during the State Credit Seminar 2026–27 organised here on Tuesday. 

 Releasing the focus paper, the chief secretary Anand Bardhan lauded NABARD’s efforts of coming out with SFP every year. He complemented NABARD on various developmental projects implemented by it apart from infrastructure assistance. The CS highlighted that the State government has been consistently implementing a wide range of initiatives to address livelihood challenges, migration from the mountainous regions, gaps in infrastructure and persistent water-related issues. He said that despite sustained interventions, the State’s Credit–Deposit (CD) ratio continues to remain significantly low, which limits economic growth and reduces the overall impact of development programmes. The CS further pointed out that although Uttarakhand has secured 29 Geographical Indication (GI) products, this achievement has not yet translated into meaningful economic benefits for the producers and local communities associated with these traditional products. He added that proactive and deeper participation of banks in the State government’s flagship programmes and schemes is essential to ensure sustainable livelihood opportunities and to enable developmental benefits to effectively reach the grassroots. 

The chief general manager (CGM) NABARD, Pankaj Yadav said the NABARD is increasingly being recognized as a robust ecosystem developer driving rural prosperity, fostering innovation, financial inclusion, and sustainable development across diverse sectors. Referring to the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, he underlined the need to reaffirm collective commitment toward strengthening livelihoods and empowering the agricultural community.

In the seminar, Bhagirathi Devi of Manar village, district Champawat, locally known as ‘Van Amma’ narrated her story of remarkable example of women-led forest conservation. She mentioned that protecting their forest had been a mission of love and responsibility for her. With the collective efforts of villagers she was able to revive 12 hectares of barren land and restore the natural springs that had long been drying up.