Punjab National Bank has drawn out a strategy to focus on the rural sector by imparting training to the farmers of Haryana. To support this cause, the bank is setting up training centers for farmers across the state. One such center is already operational in Sacha Khera (Jind) village. The bank is planning to set up seven such centers through its Farmers’ Welfare Trust.
The main objective is to give inputs to farmers on different aspects of banking. It will educate the farmers about latest farm technology, diversification of crops, maintenance of tractors and agriculture implements. There are plans to educate them about latest storage and marketing practices as well. In addition, PNB farmers’ training centre is also imparting vocational training to rural unemployed youth so that they get necessary expertise and skills for gainful employment, particularly in setting up of self-employment ventures. PNB so far has trained 40,238 men and 5,513 women. In the current year, it has trained 7,753 men and 783 women.
Talking to FE, RK Gupta, general manager, PNB Haryana zone, said, “These training centers help in assisting the farmers about wealth management. We are also coming up with new financial education and credit counselling centres catering to the rural areas. First center has been set up in Yamunanagar. The next one will be launched in Chandigarh soon. It’s a part of the 100% financial inclusion drive and the financial literacy project of the RBI.”
He also said that they would first monitor one center at a district and then replicate the same model in other districts. To reach the farmers in the field for creating awareness about farm techniques and increasing production and the yield, PNB also started its farmers’ training mobile van-cum-lab in the state, Gupta added.
The mobile training van has started approaching the farmers in the field for giving on location training programmes.