PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the banks should pay special attention to increasing the credit-deposit ratio in the State. He was addressing the 97th meeting of the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) at the secretariat on Thursday.
Expressing displeasure over the low credit-deposit ratio in Bageshwar, Pauri, Almora, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Tehri districts, the CM directed that camps should be held regularly in these districts. He said that district administration, lead bank and concerned departments should work together to identify eligible people and provide them loans on time. The CM added that efforts should be made to bring the credit-deposit ratio of the State to the national average.
In the meeting the CM reviewed banking services, loan disbursements, financial inclusion and various self-employment schemes.
Emphasising on the crucial role the banking sector plays in the State’s economic development, the CM directed banks to facilitate access to credit for the general public, farmers, youth, women and entrepreneurs. Dhami said that no eligible person should face any difficulty in availing the benefits of the government’s public welfare schemes. He asked banks to play an active role in ensuring eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits of the schemes.
CM said that the nearly 96 per cent achievement under the Annual Credit Plan and 111 per cent achievement in the MSME sector in the 2025-26 indicate the progress of the State.
He directed that financial inclusion be further strengthened and the benefits of other schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, be extended to as many people as possible.
“If the government and banks work together, employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship will gain new momentum, and the state’s overall development will accelerate,’’ he said.
In the meeting, chief secretary Anand Bardhan said that to effectively control cybercrime, representatives from the State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank should also be added to the helpline number 1930 to ensure prompt action in cases related to cyber fraud. He said that regular sub-committee meetings should be held before the SLBC meeting to thoroughly review various issues and ensure timely resolution of problems. The CS added that increasing credit flow to self-employment, small industries, MSMEs and other productive sectors should further accelerate employment generation and economic activity in the State.
Senior officers of State administration, NABARD, banks and others attended the meeting.
