A district consultative committee (DCC) and district-level review committee meeting (DlRC) of bankers was held here.
While it was presided over by the district Collector Pramod Das, Government Chief Whip Ananta Das, MP RK Jena, MlAs Aswni Patra and JP Dash, ZP President Umilata Das, besides bank and Nabard officials were present.
The people’s representatives expressed concern over the bankers’ performance, saying that the banks either were not disseminating the information regarding various Government schemes or not evincing interest in extending loans.
MP Jena expressed displeasure over the performance of the banks. “Although there is RBI guideline to hold the DCC and DlRC meeting in every quarter of a year in consultation with the people’s representatives, yet it was not done,” Jena observed.
District Collector Das in the meeting said the bankers were not serious about these meetings and they were deputing second line officers , who have no capacity to take decision to the meeting .
It was learnt that banks’ performance in disbursing loans, mainly under agriculture loan, livelihood mission loan and SME loan was much below the expectation. The overall performance of the banks till December in disbursing loans under agriculture, MSME, education and housing was 37 per cent of the annual credit plan (ACP) target.
What was worrying, the bankers hardly showed any interest for the perspective Mudra scheme . While some banks submitted data, some of the banks, including Allhabad bank, BOB, Canara , Dena , UBI, Bandhan, ICICI , Indus Ind and Cooperative didn’t submit data so far.
“Under the Mudra scheme the district while was to disburse about `240 crore loan in the fiscal year yet so far only `40 crore has been disbursed due to lack of interest of the bankers . The bankers were to go to each block and organize loan mela but here they didn’t do so. In Maharashtra, the banks organized such melas in each panchayat and it has done very well in tapping the scheme,” said Jena.
“The business correspondents (BC) are not working effectively as they are supposed to. As a result, a poor widow or physically challenged to receive pension of `300 has to spend `200 to come to headquarters town. For the loan under KCC, the banks shouldn’t ask for collateral security for amount less than `1 lakh. The Government money for the work in their areas should be deposited in GPs banks, “ he opined.
Chief Whip Das alleged that Nabard failed to disseminate information and aware people about certain prospective schemes on fishery, dairy and betel vine cultivation etc and Solar Photovoltaic water pumping system.