Chandigarh: The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called upon the bankers to play a pro-active role in the state’s mission for the promotion of diversification of Agriculture in a big way to change the destiny of the peasantry and put the agrarian economy on strong footing.
Presiding over a 125th meeting of State Level Bankers Committee (Punjab) convened here by the Punjab National Bank at Hotel Shivalik View, Mr. Badal emphasized the need to enhance the credit flow to agriculture sector for giving impetus to the much needed crop diversification program.
Showing concern over the low credit deposit ratio of 63% of rural sector against the overall ratio of 80% in the state, Mr. Badal impressed upon the bankers to make concerted efforts to raise this ratio considerably as it was 124% and 112% in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh respectively. Likewise, the Chief Minister also pleaded to enhance the rate of advances to SC beneficiaries and other unprivileged sections of the society.
Mr. Badal also solicited bankers’ cooperation in the state government’s initiative for setting up of Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) to enable the unemployed youth to start their self-ventures.
On the issue of financing the self-help groups, the Chief Minister said that 28556 such groups have been formed till June, 2013 of which 19,667 groups have been financed adding Mr. Badal said that there was a huge potential for generating employment by setting up and financing more such self-help groups and asked the Deputy Commissioners to assist in identifying such groups.
Earlier, the Regional Director RBI Chandigarh Mr. MK Singh appreciated the performance ofPunjabin the achieving the annual credit plan adding he said the state had performed extremely well in the priority sector but still lot was to be done.
On the occasion, Field General Manager of Punjab National Bank Mr. Harpal Singh in his address welcomed the Chief Minister and highlighted the significant achievements of the state government.