AECO241 :: Lecture 12 :: REORGANISATION OF COOPERATIVE CREDIT STRUCTURE IN ANDHRA PRADESH AND SINGLE WINDOW SYSTEM

Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Bank
            The Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank Limited (APCOB) is a Scheduled State Cooprative Bank for the State of Andhra Pradesh. The Bank is committed to agricultural and rural development through the Cooperatives. The cooperative credit system in Andhra Pradesh with the APCOB at its apex level is a federal system consisting of a family of 22 affiliated District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs), which in turn, have 557 Branches and 2748 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) through which, developmental agricultural credit is provided, to serve a sizeable chunk of the total membership of the PACS of around 1.5 crores.

            The APCOB and affiliate credit structure in Andhra Pradesh showcase a unique experiment of Single Window Credit Delivery System, as a first of its kind in the country under which, both investment and production credit for agriculture is provided at the grass root level through a single agency. The PACS at village level has been modelled as a one stop shop for the farmer for availing of varied short, medium and long term loans both under production and investment credit, input requirements, produce storage facilities, essential commodities, banking and other rural based services. APCOB has also a network of 26 branches in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and one Head Office Main Branch as also a Branch each at Tirupathi and Vijayawada meeting the exclusive needs of the urban clientele.

            In tune with it's main focus, the APCOB, through the DCCBs and PACS, provides re-finance support for agricultural production credit for seasonal agricultural opertions (crop loans), investment credit for investments in agriculture for Minor Irrigation, Farm Mechanisation, Land Development, Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Fisheries and other diversified investments and allied activities. In times of natural calamities, the Bank provides credit stabilisation arrangements by way of conversion, rephasement, postponement and reschedulement of agricultural loans. Credit to the weavers Sector through Primary Handloom and Silk Weavers Credit Societies, as also financing to the Apex Weavers Society is another important portfolio through which rural development is fostered. Loans to Employees Credit Societies is also extended to provide timely financial support to employees of various organisations mainly through the DCCBs. This apart, the Bank finances Industrial Cooperatives and agro-processing industries in the cooperative fold like Sugar Factories, Spinning Mills, Milk Unions and Dairy Federation.

            As a part of it's commitment towards rural development, the Bank provides assistance for programmes under Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swayamrozgar Yojana (SGSY earlier known as IRDP), Non Farm Sector finance for self employment programmes in the rural and semi-urban areas, micro-credit through Self Help Groups, Youth Associations and Women's Groups. The Bank extends financial support to Apex Cooperative Federations like MARKFED, APCO, FEDCON etc. It has also been providing direct finance to small and medium industries and agro-based units. The Bank offers a host of facilities to its urban clientele. These include, Banking facilities under attractive deposit schemes, safe deposit lockers, Clean & Secured Overdrafts, Consumer Durable Loans, Vehicle Loans, Gold Loans, Housing Loans, Real Estate Mortgage Loans and a host of other services.

Services
The loan portfolio of APCOB covers Crop Loans, Medium Term Loans and Long Term Loans for Agricultural purposes. Substantial support is being extended to the Government-sponsored District Rural Development Agency projects through IRDP Loans and also to Cooperative Sugar Factories, Spinning Mills, Weavers Societies, Employees Cooperative Credit Societies and other Societies.
APCOB is also extending finance to many Apex Cooperative institutions in the State like APCO, MARKFED, GCC etc. APCOB provides all types of banking facilities to it's customers through attractive deposit schemes as also various types of loans for it's urban clientele through it's own branch network.

Deposit schemes
Savings bank
This facility is available to customers to deposit and withdraw money as per their convenience. The facility is extended with or without cheque book as per the needs of the customer. Prompt and courteous service awaits our customers at our Branches.

Current account
Current Account with cheque book facility is offered by the Bank to its corporate and business clients. Clean and secured overdraft facility is also provided on the Current Account.

Fixed deposit

The Bank offers attractive rates on Fixed Deposits for various maturity periods. Facility for drawing interest on a monthly or quarterly basis is provided.

Gruhalakshmi deposit
This is a cumulative term deposit scheme under which money multiplies faster to a yield targetted amount for the customer as per the deposit period convenient to him.

Cash certificate
This is a cumulative deposit scheme under which interest is accumulated to the principal deposit amount and lumpsum paid at the end of the investment period. Customers can encash sizeable amounts by investing small amounts initially. Ideally suited to customers saving for a targetted purpose for the future.

Recurring deposit
Under this scheme, the customer can save small amount in monthly instalments for a fixed term to get back a lumpsum. Interest is accumulated on the principal over the saving period at attractive rates of interest.

Other special deposit schemes
The Bank is offering a host of other special deposit schemes to suit the savings needs of its customers like Aishwarya Deposit Scheme and Special Tax Saver Deposit Scheme.

Loan schemes
The Bank offers the following attractive loan schemes to individuals who are its customers.

Clean overdraft
Overdrafts on Current Accounts are provided to the customers upto five times their net salary against a simple surety of employees/employers undertaking.

Secured overdraft
Secured overdrafts on current accounts are provided to customers against the security of National Saving Certificates, Kisan Vikas Patras, as also against the security of urban immovable property.
Gold loans
Customers can avail of Gold Loans against pledge of gold ornaments at all branches of the Bank.

Consumer durable loans
The Bank provides loans for purchase of consumer durables to its customers for buying of items like TV, Refrigerator, Air Conditioners and a host of other consumer durables.

Education loans
Under the Vidya Vikasa Vardhini Scheme, the Bank is providing loans to students/parents of students for pursuing professional courses like Engineering, Medicine, Computer Education and other courses including technical courses/job oriented courses. The loan is repayable at attractive rate of interest and easy repayment period.

Car finance
Finance for purchase of cars is provided to professionals and self employed entrepreneurial and salaried customers of the Bank for their personal use at attractive rates of interest and repayment period ranging upto 60 months.

Auto finance
The Bank provides finance to unemployed persons for self employment purpose by providing commercial vehicles like Auto rickshaws etc. The loan is provided against two sureties.

Traders finance

Loans are provided to wholesale/retail traders and businessmen engaged in trade activity for running their business on furnishing of collateral security and on pledge of stocks. This facility is extended in the nature of cash credit limit for facilitating continuous operation based on the day-to-day business needs.

Housing finance

The Bank offers attractive Housing Loan Scheme both for construction or purchase of a new house/flat as also for purposes of repairs and extension to existing house. Comfortable repayment period for the loan is provided.

Real estate mortgage loan
Loan facility is provided against mortgage of fixed assets/property for purchase of house, house construction, house repairs, business, higher studies, and health care, at attractive rates of interest and comfortable repayment period.

Other services
Fund transfer and demand drafts
The Bank arranges transmission of funds of it' s customers to locations at every nook and corner of the country by it's various transfer mechanism as also issuance of Demand Drafts at low commission rates.

Collection of cheques and bills
The Bank undertakes the collection of local and outstation cheques and bills for a nominal fee.

Standing instructions
The Bank undertakes all types of standing instructions issued by customers on their accounts with the bank.

Safe deposit lockers
Safe Deposit Lockers are available at all branches of the Bank of various sizes to suit the needs of different customers. An exclusive safe deposit vault with more than 1000 lockers are provided at the centrally located Narayanaguda Branch of the Bank.

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