The Hindu Business Line : AP: Girijan co-op societies exempted from VAT

Announcing this at a press meet here on Tuesday, Mr A. Vidya Sagar, the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, said the State Cabinet had taken a decision on the matter recently.

"The State Cabinet has taken the decision to promote tribal welfare, as the GCC buys forest produce from Girijans at remunerative rates and sells them to the public," he explained.

Mr Vidya Sagar also said the State Government had agreed to provide guarantees for the loans taken by the GCC from the National Scheduled Tribes Financial Corporation (NSTFDC) and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC). This would enable the GCC to raise loans and expand its activities in the tribal belt of the State, he said.

He said the GCC had urged the State Government to recommend to the NSTFDC, New Delhi, to recognise the corporation as a channelising agency for the State besides Tricor. This would facilitate the GCC to obtain loans from the NSTFDC at four per cent instead of seven per cent.

He said the GCC was making attempts to enter into a tie-up with the Nafed for procurement of seasonal produce such as soyabean, nigerseed and rajma to benefit one lakh tribal families. While Visakhapatnam was suitable for cultivation of rajma and nigerseeds, Adilabad was favourable for soyabean cultivation. He said the GCC would make all efforts to procure such produce.

He said the GCC had introduced to the market 15 varieties of minor forest produce (MFP) and agricultural produce in different sizes and in a value-added form.

Mr K. Rajeswara Rao, the General Manager (Marketing), gave an overview of the products.

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