Uttarakhand has a credit potential of Rs 5,892.86 crore, with a substantial requirement in agriculture and other sectors, according to an estimate by NABARD.

As per the estimates prepared by the NABARD, out of the total credit potential, Rs 1,700.24 crore is for crop loans, Rs 886.28 crore for long-term investments in the agriculture sector, Rs 1,159.98 crore for the non-farm sector, including agro and food processing, and Rs 2,147.26 crore for other priority sectors, the chief general manager of NABARD's regional office, Prasant Das, told reporters here today.

Highlighting the achievements of NABARD in Uttarakhand, Das said a loan of Rs 220.54 crore was provided to the state government against the target of Rs 150 crore in the 2009-10 fiscal for creation of rural infrastructure under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

He said various projects amounting to Rs 426.18 crore were also sanctioned during the year. Some of the important sectors under which projects have been sanctioned include rural roads (250 projects), minor irrigation (128), rural bridge construction (53) and mini-hydel (4 projects), he said.

Das said NABARD has so far sanctioned Rs 1,191.43 crore and disbursed Rs 850.40 crore under the RIDF in the state. A total length of 3,274 km of roads has been created so far, besides 787 metres of bridges, for connecting 3,357 villages in the state, he said.