Mumbai Feb 21 PTI The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NABARD on Monday projected a credit outlay of Rs 613 lakh crore for priority sectors in Maharashtra in the next financial year A State Focus Paper projecting a potential credit outlay of Rs 613503 crore to priority sectors by NABARD was launched by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at a state-wide credit seminar according to an official statement The credit projections include estimations of Rs 143019 crore 23 per cent for agriculture Rs 348372 crore 57 per cent towards MSME and Rs 122112 crore 20 per cent to other priority sectors it said Possible ways of increasing credit outreach in the state specially to small and marginal farmers were discussed in detail at the seminar Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Minister of Agriculture Dadaji Bhuse Minister of Co-operation and Marketing Balasaheb Patil senior officials from RBI state government commercial banks regional rural banks and cooperative banks among others were also present Thackeray suggested the need for concerted action by state government departments banks and NABARD for realising the credit potentials so as to increase farmers income He indicated the need for addressing the challenges posed by climate change and natural calamities especially in Konkan region through increased investment for climate proofing as per the statement PTI AA RAM RAM

Thane Jan 19 PTI Two persons were charred to death after a truck carrying liquid sulfur met with an accident and hit an autorickshaw which led to both the vehicles catching fire at Ambarnath township in Thane district of Maharashtra on Wednesday afternoon police said The accident occurred near a nullah in Ambarnath east area and the two deceased were occupants of the autorickshaw they said The truck was on its way from Ambarnath to Shil Near the nullah it developed some technical snag and started moving backwards due to the gradient It crushed an autorickshaw on the way due to which the fuel tank of the rickshaw exploded and led to a fire in both the vehicles deputy commissioner of police traffic Balasaheb Patil said Soon the sulphur in the truck also caught fire The two occupants of the rickshaw were charred to death and the deceased are being identified he said Both the vehicles were completely damaged in the incident Patil added On being informed the police and the fire brigade personnel of the Ambarnath Municipal Council rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze he said A fire officer said that the incident took place shortly before 4 pm Police said that the bodies of the two victims were sent to a local government hospital for post-mortem PTI COR NP NP