Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday assured a delegation from the cooperative sector of an early decision on several issues concerning the farmers, including making available credit at 7 per cent through rural cooperative banks.
The delegation, which included senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Ahmed Patel, Motilal Vora as also NCUI chief SS Sisodia, also requested withdrawal of income tax recently imposed on cooperative banks and removing the ban on registration of new urban cooperative banks.
Besides, full interest rate subvention (subsidy) on farm loans and recapitalisation of rural cooperative banks, the delegation also sought expeditious implementation of the Vaidyanathan Committee recommendations on the cooperative sector.
Digvijay Singh told reporters later that the Prime Minister assured a decision on cheap credit by the cooperative banks to the farmers within two weeks and resolving other issues before the presentation of the next budget.
Sisodia said they met the Prime Minister as some issues remained to be sorted out even after their meeting Finance Minister P Chidambaram.