SLBC Meeting held
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Jul: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today urged the banking officials to simplify loan application procedures and insurance claim processes, while stressing the importance of significantly improving Uttarakhand’s credit-deposit (CD) ratio. The CM was chairing a special session of the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) at the Secretariat here today. He stated that ensuring the complete and timely delivery of benefits under central and state government schemes, along with effective resolution of public grievances, remains a top priority for the administration.
During the meeting, Dhami called upon the stakeholders to intensify efforts to raise the state’s CD ratio. He observed that, for the financial year 2024–25, the CD ratio had improved marginally from 54 percent to 54.26 percent. Aiming for a decisive upward trajectory, he set a target of 60 percent and emphasised on the need for more effective measures. He emphasised that particular attention must be paid to hill districts such as Tehri, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Almora, Pauri, and Bageshwar, where banking access and economic activities face unique challenges.
The CM also announced plans to organise district-level mega camps throughout the month of October, wherein multiple departments and banking representatives will jointly address public concerns and deliver welfare scheme services on a single day basis at common venues. The initiative aims to enhance reach and efficiency of government programmes and ensure necessary financial linkages.
The data shared during the meeting highlights Uttarakhand’s strong performance under central financial schemes. Under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, the state has recorded coverage of 48,000 individuals per lakh population, exceeding the national average of 40,000. Under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, the average loan disbursed per borrower stands at Rs 93,900 in Uttarakhand, compared to the national mean of Rs 62,686. The Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana has led to the opening of 3.9 million bank accounts in the state, the highest among hill states. The year 2024–25 also witnessed a 10.26 percent rise in advances and a 9.09 percent growth in deposits in the state. The Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Yojana and the Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana have demonstrated consistent progress over three consecutive years.
It was also claimed in the meeting that a total of 610,636 farmers benefited from Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), with small and marginal farmers accounting for 67 percent of the beneficiaries. Additionally, 70.23 percent of self-help groups (SHGs) in the state enjoy credit linkage, with the overall SHG count registering a 21 percent increase over the past three years.
Those who attended the meeting included Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretaries RK Sudhanshu and R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Dilip Jawalkar, Radhika Jha, Nitesh Kumar Jha, Sridhar Babu Adanki, Reserve Bank of India Regional Director Arvind Kumar, State Bank of India Chief General Manager Debasish Mishra, Additional Secretaries Ranjana Rajguru, Himanshu Khurana and Manmohan Mainali, as well as senior representatives from various banks.
