Nabard chief general manager, Bangalore, V Jalma Rao, told reporters here on Thursday that in the last financial year (1998-99), the figure reached a new high of Rs 1,091.14 crore, up by 20 per cent compared with the previous year.

Nabard, he said, would achieve the target by giving more emphasis and vigorous follow up on institutional development.

The refinance support through investment credit increased to Rs 319.68 crore compared with Rs 290.84 crore in the previous year, and short-term credit limits sanctioned to cooperatives and regional rural banks for financing crop production aggregated Rs 697.69 crore, up 23 per cent, Rao said.

According to him, under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), set up by it for creation of infrastructure in public sector, a sum of Rs 118.86crore was sanctioned to the state government during 1998-99. (PTI)