Bringing digital divide in self help groups (SHG), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has decided to digitized SHGs in 22 more districts.

Speaking on digitization, NABARD, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, Chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala said that digitization in 22 districts will be completed by March 2017.

Bhanwala was in Tamil Nadu to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the 37th Convocation of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU).

The agri bank has launched have launched the world's largest microfinance programme involving 7.9 million self-help groups (SHGs) and picked Ramgarh in Jharkhand and Dhule in Maharashtra for the pilot project for digitisation, Bhanwala stressed.

Looking at the results, we have now decided to implement the digitization in other districts too, NABARD-TNAU linkage has contributed to the development of agricultural education, infrastructure and strengthening of research activities.

Strengthening the agricultural sector is crucial for poverty alleviation, ensuring food security, increasing employment opportunities and enhancing rural income, Bhanwala said.

Consistent efforts taken by the Centre, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and NABARD had resulted in agricultural credit growing impressively during the last decade, especially after the policy of doubling of credit was unveiled in June 2004.

The credit flow to agriculture reached $131 billion (Rs 877,000 crore) as on March 31, 2016, of which crop loans accounted for $104 billion (Rs 705,000 crore) and the ratio of agricultural credit to agricultural GDP has increased to around 42 per cent by the end of 2015-16 from 10 per cent in 1999-2000, he said.

Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao presided over the convocation, in which close to 600 students received degrees and awards.