Fund start-ups, Thakur’s message to bankers

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 19

The 148th state-level review meeting of Bankers’ Committee was held here on Tuesday.

Anil Kumar Khachi, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance, presided over the meeting.

He said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had directed banks to provide loans to entrepreneurs in tourism, food processing, power, small scale industries sectors, so that the local youth could explore possibility of getting self-employment opportunities in the state.

“The Chief Minitster has said that the banks need to provide more loans to farmers so that they can opt for latest farming techniques to enhance their income,” he said.

He said to double farmers’ income by 2022, the banks should focus on providing better irrigation facilities, quality seeds and fertilisers, better marketing facilities and dairy enterprises development schemes.

He said the banks provided Rs 5,625.68 crore loans to 4.18 lakh farmers under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme by March 2018.

The banks should increase the cash deposit ratio of 44.82 per cent to 60 per cent as directed by the RBI, he said.

“About 2,131 bank branches and 1,879 bank mitras are operating in the state. Each branch provides banking services to around 3,221 people which is far better than the national average of 11,000 people,” he said.

“The Chief Minister has said that the banks should provide loans easily to the youth so that they could start their own self employment ventures under the Mukhya Mantri Swawlamban Yojna. The banks should also encourage private investment in private health care so that people of remote areas can get better medical facilities under the new scheme ‘Swasthya Mein Sahbhagita’,” he said.

He said under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, over 10 lakh people opened bank accounts in the state. The banks should participate in the Jan Manch programme to educate rural people on various schemes.

He said under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, 93 villages in the state had been selected for making them financial inclusive.

Vivek Kaul, general manager, UCO Bank, said the banking sector had achieved an annual growth of six per cent and its deposit and advances were Rs 1.06 lakh crore.

Opportunities for the youth 

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has directed banks to provide loans to entrepreneurs in tourism, food processing, power, small scale industries sectors, so that the local youth could explore possibility of getting self-employment opportunities in the state.