Bhubaneswar: Odisha fiancne minister Shashi Bhushan Behera has expressing his concern over the fact that the  credit deposit ratio in 12 districts of the state has gone down to below 40%. He urged the bankers to improve the situation and emphasized on sanction of credit to the priority sectors.

Stating that the annual credit plan target is fixed at Rs, 60,000 crore for priority sector lending for the current fiscal, he said that stress on the sector lending would help in achieving the target envisaged in the RBI annual credit plan.
He also said to hold credit workshops for sector like MSME, Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Textile, Housing and Higher Education at periodic intervals where bankers along with departmental field officers would come together to identify potential entrepreneurs and process bankable proposals.

The minister, while speaking in the 148th State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) Meeting held here on Wednesday,.
said that State Bank of India(SBI) has made operational banking correspondents in 488 unbanked Grampanchayats while some other banks have indicated their consent to open 65 brick and mortar Branches and
employee 182 Banking correspondents before December, 2017, so that 50% of the 1474
unbanked grampanchayats will be covered.
Development commissioner Dr R. Balkrishnan suggested convergence meeting on ideas, action,
bankers and stakeholders to discuss threadbare on the credit plan. Principal secretary finance Tuhin Kanta Pandey,
said although provision of opening 25% of the Bank Branches
in rural areas is stipulated in guideline, bankers should come forward for establishment of
banks in rural areas. He said that institutional credit will substantiate state’s growth.
Among others chief post master general S. K. Kamila, chief general manager,
BSNL, Sri Nayak, executive director UCO Bank and chairman, SLBC,  Charan Singh,
CGM, NABARD Dr Panigrahi, CGM, SBI Sri Reddy, OiC, RBI Sri Das, General
Manager, RBI, Sri Samal along with Secretaries, Directors of State Gvoernment
Departments, representatives of Financial Institutions were present.  Anil Kumar,
Convener of the SLBC gave the introductory address.