Chief Minister Harish Rawat has appealed to the banks to assist the State Government in the rebuilding of Uttarakhand, which is working hard to provide succor to the disaster affected people. The banks should prepare a roadmap of development and ensure their part of work is done. They should promote self- help groups (SHG) in hills so that they would be able to resume their livelihood, which was adversely affected due to the disaster-2013. He also asked them to correct the prevailing anomalies in the district in credit deposit ratio (CDR). CM Rawat made this appeal while addressing 50th state level bankers committee (SlBC) meeting in Dehradun on Thursday.
In his address, CM Rawat asked them to help the state in rebuilding of Uttarakhand under corporate social responsibility (CSR). In disaster affected areas you hold collection of instalment against loan and if possible, give relief in interests as well. Even give some relief to the sugarcane farmers because they have not received their due from sugar mills because of financial strain.
Although CM Rawat reiterated that state government is working hard to develop a resource in disaster -affected areas so that they can become self dependent like before the disaster-2013. Meanwhile, the state government is trying to find out ways about how to pay the arrears of sugarcane farmers. Till then you suspend your EMI, he urged
To promote banking in the hills, you promote small saving in the hills and open branch as well. He instructed the additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma to prepare a road map about where bank branch needs to be opened. Small artisan and media and micro industries should be given financial assistance. so you ease their formalities as well, he said. “We have to focus on vertical development along with horticulture development. In this, bank can play a major role,” he added.
Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh said that the banks should ease their norms in sanctioning of loan. “Self- help group (SHG) record is good, so you should be liberal especially women-run SHG while allocating loan to them,” she said. She also sought details from the banks about how many entrepreneurs were given loans by them. She reiterated that if bank thinks seriously people’s life may improve.
SlBC convenor and SBI chief general manager Pallav Mahapatra said that in Uttarakhand CDR is 64 percent which was mere 22 percent during inception of the state From August 15, 2014 banking service is being provided to the villages in phases. In this process we have identified 2151 cluster and sub- service areas (SSA) in Uttarakhand and SlBC has divided among banks as well. Even concerned banks have been told to establish cluster and SSA and appoint business correspondent so that they would visit their concerned village and will open two bank saving accounts in a family of each village.
Mahapatra also apprised that under Veer Chandra Garhwali Tourism Self Employment schemes, applicants are facing problem in land use change. This is why, the bank could not disburse loan within stipulated time period. He sought the State Government’s intervention.