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Chief Minister chairs 172nd State Level Bankers Committee meeting in Gandhinagar

Bankers should take initiatives and develop a framework to provide comprehensive benefits of loan-lending-assistance in the sectors of agriculture-animal husbandry-fisheries: – CM

The field of agriculture was and shall continue to be our priority: CM

CM urges banks to develop digitization facility for easy access to banking services even in the rural areas

‘Atmanirbhar Gujarat thi Atmanirbhar Bharat’ can be achieved by active participation of State Government and Bankers: – Chief Minister Shri

-: Finance Minister joins the meet: –

Request of the Finance Minister to make the bankers realize the pro-poor approach of the state government to facilitate small men by giving loans

It is a matter of time before banks adopt a saturation approach against the new approach that has come out of the stereotyped-traditional approach: -Principal Secretary Shri Pankaj Kumar 

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Gandhinagar, Tuesday: Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel has clearly stated that the agricultural sector was, is and will remain a priority for us.

To this end, the banking sector needs to take initiatives in the sectors like agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries with the activism that the beneficiaries will get the full benefit of the provisions made in the budget for loan-financing.

In this regard, he said, banks would have to develop their own framework to achieve the targets set out in the budget this year for providing loans at zero percent interest and the benefits of Kisan Credit Card in the livestock and fisheries sectors.

The Chief Minister was addressing a meeting of the 172nd State Level Bankers Committee in Gandhinagar.

Minister of Finance Shri Kanubhai Desai, Chief Secretary Shri Pankaj Kumar, Chairman of SLBC Shri Vikramaditya Khinchi, Regional Director of Reserve Bank of India Shri Rajesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of department of agriculture Shri Mukesh Puri, Principal secretary to finance department Shri J.P. Gupta and senior secretaries and officials of nationalized banks attended the meeting.

In his inspiring address at the SLBC meeting for the first time since assuming the office of Chief Minister, Shri Bhupendra Patel had requested for digitization of banking services so that even the smallest human being, even a remote rural citizen could get banking services at home.

He added that under the PM Swanidhi Yojana, Swamitva Yojana, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi for street vendors, bankers should take necessary action to provide loan assistance to the weaker sections.

Shri Bhupendra Patel expressed the view that the name of Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai to make the country self-reliant in every field would be realized through ‘Atmanirbhar Gujarat thi Atmanirbhar Bharat’ with the active participation of the banking sector and the state government.

Finance Minister Shri Kanubhai Desai said that while the approach of the state government has been pro-poor, banks also have to adopt a positive approach in giving loans from banks to small human beings, needy beneficiaries.

He said that instead of keeping or cancelling the loan applications of such small persons for trivial reasons, it was necessary for the bankers to provide them proper guidance, help and make arrangements for easy access to loan.

Chief Secretary Shri Pankaj Kumar called upon the bankers to work in mission mode. He added that this is the 172nd meet of SLBC, which means that such meet is being organised since last 42-43 years. Now we need to think beyond such stereotypes and come up with new approaches.

Shri Pankaj Kumar further said that the Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel has given clear guidelines to adopt a proactive approach with a saturation approach in all schemes including pro-poor, farmer oriented, rural development, tap water, ownership.

While all the departments of the state government are constantly working for this, the banks must also achieve the target by analyzing each scheme on the basis of pro-active approach and all the data bases they have.

At the commencement of the meeting, Mr. Vikramaditya Khinchi, Chairman, SLBC, spoke on the role of the working system in the state, which is being coordinated by the banking sector and the state government.

He said that banking facility is available to the citizens within a radius of five km in the state. Not only that, the services of more than 9800 branches and more than 12 thousand ATMs are also easily available.

Mr. Khinchi hoped that the campaign launched by the state government for survey of beneficiaries and property cards in 14,800 villages under Swamitva Yojana would facilitate the banks in implementing the scheme.

He added that it is commendable that as a result of the positive approach of Gujarat government departments and officials, bankers continue to be encouraged to meet the targets of various schemes.

Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Regional Director, Reserve Bank also presented his views on the working of the banking sector.

In the presentation made during this meeting, it was stated that in the priority sectors, in the field of loan-financing assistance in Gujarat, 82.89% achievement has been realised till the end of December-2021.

The meeting was moderated by SLBC Convener Shri Bansal.

Source: Information Department, Gujarat