Bengal banks behind targets

The banks of West Bengal achieved only 64 per cent of the total plan of Rs 6814 crore for 2004-05 till December 2004 and have decided to make all efforts to achieve 100 per cent allocation.

The decision was taken at the state level banker's committee (SLBC) meeting for West Bengal.

SLBC said credit deposit (CD) ratio has improved from 49 per cent to 53 per cent during the year upto December 2004.

SLBC aims to increase it by 3 percentages points in the coming year.

It was also decided that banks would aim to achieve the planned allocation of Rs 2440 crore for the agricultural sectors by the year end.

Only Rs 1360 crore has been achieved till December 2004.

The target for 2005-06 has been set to Rs 3500 crore, a growth by nearly 45 per cent.

Among the other set targets were the achievement of the plan for issuance of Kisan Credit card (KCC) at 6 lakh along with attaining the target of credit linkages with one lakh SHGs.

Additional employment generation was to the extent of of about 1 lakh upto December 2004 and the target for March 2005 has been modified to 2 lakh through self-employment scheme.

Full utilisation of crop insurance scheme, more ambitious target for KCC, high power committee meeting once in two months, quick disposal of sponsored and sanctioned loan proposals and consolidation of regional rural banks were among other decisions taken at the meeting.

The meeting was attended by West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta, and the chairman and managing directors of United Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and UCO Bank, besides officials of RBI, Nabard and the state government.