PV Satyanarayana Khammam

TheKhammam District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) is strengthening its role as a key financial institution for rural development by expanding access to agricultural credit, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, and offering competitive deposit schemes, while maintaining strong recovery performance and sound asset quality, says its Chief Executive Officer N Venkata Aditya.

In an exclusive interview with The Hans India, Aditya said the bank is committed to meeting the diverse financial needs of farmers, traders, entrepreneurs and rural households through a comprehensive portfolio of credit facilities and banking services.

With a network of 54 branches across the erstwhile Khammam district, the DCCB is seeking to reinforce the cooperative banking system, promote financial inclusion and stimulate sustainable economic activity at the grassroots level.

“Our primary objective is to support farmers, strengthen rural livelihoods and accelerate economic development through cooperative banking,” he said.

Comprehensive credit support for farmers

Agriculture remains a major focus of the bank’s lending operations. Under tripartite arrangements, eligible farmers cultivating oil palm can avail themselves of loans of up to Rs 5 lakh during the initial cultivation stage and up to Rs 38 lakh during the yield stage, subject to applicable terms and conditions.

The bank also extends loans against agricultural land to eligible borrowers, helping farmers mobilise funds for productive activities and other permitted financial requirements.

Aditya said the agricultural lending initiatives were intended to improve access to institutional finance and provide timely financial support to farmers at different stages of cultivation.

Boost to entrepreneurship and business expansion

Beyond agriculture, the DCCB is extending financial assistance to small traders and established businesses to promote entrepreneurship, facilitate commercial expansion and support employment generation.

Under its cooperative business loan schemes, eligible small traders can obtain loans of up to Rs 5 lakh, while larger businesses can access funding of up to Rs 2 crore under the business development scheme.

The bank also supports allied agricultural activities, including dairy farming, poultry, sheep rearing and fish farming. Eligible borrowers can avail themselves of loans for purchasing tractors and harvesters, enabling farmers to mechanise agricultural operations, improve productivity and strengthen their income-generating capacity.

Strong recovery, zero net NPA underscore financial discipline

Despite its extensive focus on rural lending and agricultural credit, the Khammam DCCB has maintained a strong recovery record, with gross non-performing assets (NPA) at just 0.95 per cent and net NPA at zero, Aditya said. He attributed the performance to the bank’s operational procedures, loan monitoring and recovery mechanisms, which he said were central to maintaining financial discipline and institutional credibility.

The low gross NPA level and zero net NPA, he said, reflected the bank’s emphasis on responsible lending, effective credit management and the recovery of outstanding loans. “Our strong recovery performance, with gross NPA at 0.95 per cent and net NPA at zero, exemplifies our operational discipline and is a key factor behind the credibility we have earned,” he said.

Aditya said the bank would continue to balance its developmental role of extending credit to farmers and rural entrepreneurs with prudent lending practices and sound financial management.

Housing, vehicle and education loans

The DCCB has diversified its lending portfolio to address household and individual financial needs. Its offerings include housing loans, vehicle loans for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, and finance for eligible private and commercial vehicles.

The bank also provides loans against eligible properties and plots, besides education loans subject to prescribed conditions. Gold loans offer another avenue for customers to meet financial requirements by pledging eligible gold jewellery, with loan amounts and interest rates determined by the applicable lending terms.

The diversified portfolio is intended to serve customers across different income groups and economic activities, extending the bank’s reach beyond agriculture and business finance.

Attractive deposit schemes to promote savings

Alongside its lending operations, the bank is seeking to mobilise savings through deposit products offering competitive advertised interest rates for specified tenures. The Dhanavarsham scheme offers an advertised interest rate of 7.55 per cent for a tenure of 1,000 days, while Kanakavarsham offers 7.45 per cent for 500 days. The Cooperative Savings Recurring Deposit scheme carries an advertised interest rate of 7.30 per cent.

Senior citizens are eligible for an additional 0.5 percentage point in interest, subject to the respective scheme rules and prevailing rates.

Aditya said the deposit schemes were designed to encourage disciplined savings while providing customers with competitive returns in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.

Digital services to improve customer convenience

The bank is also providing digital and supplementary banking services, including National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), mobile banking and locker facilities at its branches.

These services are intended to make banking transactions more convenient and accessible, enabling customers to meet their financial requirements through formal banking channels.

Aditya urged farmers, entrepreneurs, traders and members of the public to make use of the bank’s credit facilities, deposit products and other services according to their financial needs and eligibility.

Reiterating the institution’s commitment to the cooperative movement, he said the DCCB would continue to focus on agricultural development, rural entrepreneurship, savings mobilisation and improved customer service. “Our motto is ‘development through cooperation — farmers’ welfare is our mission.’ We remain committed to promoting savings, supporting productive economic activities and strengthening the cooperative banking sector,” he said.

On the occasion of Dasara and Deepavali, the CEO reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to improving its services and contributing to the region’s economic development.