HYDERABAD: With the delay in sanctioning of loans by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the State government has decided to start the sheep distribution programme with its own funds starting with Rs 1,000 crore.
Accordingly, the second phase of sheep distribution programme will commence on June 5 across the State.
In the first phase, the State government raised loan from NCDC, purchased the sheep and distributed them. However, the NCDC has not sanctioned the loan for the second phase so far. “Senior officials met the NCDC authorities recently and discussed the issues related to documentation. We are expecting that the NCDC will release the loan amount shortly,” sources in Animal Husbandry department told TNIE.
In the absence of NCDC loan, the required funds would be met from the State Budget. Officials estimate that around Rs 6,000 crore is required for the second phase of sheep distribution. The target is to distribute sheep units to 3.5 lakh shepherds.
At a meeting with officials here on Tuesday, Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said that the second phase of sheep distribution programme would be started in Nalgonda district on June 5. The Minister said that the government distributed 3.93 lakh units in the first phase of programme. The Minister also said that fish food festival would be conducted on June 8, 9 and 10 at all district headquarters.