Rakesh Gupta, GM, PNB participating as Panelist in “Innovative Sanitation Financing Forum” an event organised by the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation in collaboration with World Bank, UNICEF and Water.org at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
The Forum was inaugurated by Birender Singh, Union Minister, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation in the presence of Gary White, Founder, Water.org, Saraswati Prasad, additional secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Amarjeet Sinha, additional secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Dibyendu Sarkar, secretary and commissioner, Swachh Bharat Mission, West Bengal .
Gupta said that access to safe water supply and sanitation are basic human needs and rights. Inequities in drinking water and sanitation availability are a reflection of unequal development within the country. The idea of not having a toilet is perhaps as outlandish to many as the idea of not having a bank account or not being insured or not having any arrangements at all for old age.
He added that recent RBI policy changes bank loans up to a limit of five crore per borrower for building social infrastructure as part of priority sector lending have paved the path of water and sanitation credit expansion by banks and bank is keen to workout products involving micro financial institutions/self-help groups (SHGs)/ joint liability groups (JlGs) to have a very positive effect on the funding into the sector.
The Forum was attended by representatives from Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Rural Development, State Governments, World Bank RBI/NABARD/PSBs, diplomats, senior government officials, policy makers, industry, research and academic institutions and extension agencies.