Shimla banks to launch spl drive for unclaimed deposits

Shimla Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap on Monday directed all banks to function responsibly and ensure transparent and efficient banking services for the public. Chairing the district-level quarterly review and advisory committee meeting, he stressed the importance of timely delivery of government scheme benefits to eligible beneficiaries and emphasised that targets must be realistic so the gap between set and achieved goals remains minimal.

The DC said under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, 1,99,903 accounts have been opened in the district. Under social security schemes, 1,47,023 beneficiaries are enrolled in the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, 3,47,190 in the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and 75,145 in the Atal Pension Yojana. During this quarter, 233 self-help groups were linked with credit facilities, while loans worth Rs 5.85 crore were disbursed by June of the 2025-26 financial year.

The DC further stressed the need for concrete steps to resolve unclaimed deposit accounts. The Lead District Manager (LDM) said a special three-month campaign will be launched from October 1 to December 31, 2025, to address the issue. He added that discussions were also held on the Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme and banks were instructed to resolve pending cases in a time-bound manner.

The DC highlighted that the district’s Credit-Deposit (CD) ratio has increased from 44.50 per cent to 45.82 per cent. For 2025-26, an annual credit target of Rs 11,339.82 crore was set, of which Rs 1,449.50 crore has been achieved so far. Priority sector advances rose from Rs 11,452.95 crore to Rs 11,923.79 crore this quarter. Agricultural advances grew by 0.83 per cent, MSMEs by 4.33 per cent, while educational loans declined by 0.27 per cent. Housing loans, however, registered a sharp rise of 27.54 per cent, reaching Rs 1,315 crore.