Credit Deposit Ratio (CDR) of banks,which is the proportion of loans disbursed from deposits within a state,in Himachal has increased to 70.86 per cent,in the second quarter of the year,against 43 per cent in 2009. The increase in CDR in Himachal is largely owing to major investments coming into hydro power and cement industry sector,said Chairman and Managing Director of UCO Bank Arun Kaul at Shimla,after a State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) meeting convened by the bank. The SLBC was chaired by Chief Secretary to Himachal Pradesh government Rajwant Sandhu. The CS asked the banks to speed up banking facilities for pensioners and new loaning opportunities for landless framers on priority. Kaul said,After implementation of recommendations of Thorat committee,this year the loans disbursed by banks from outside states for setting up industrial projects in Himachal have also been considered under loans disbursed from banks within Himachal. This factor has also led to increase of the CDR. Up to September 30,an investment of Rs 7,221 crore has come to the state in the form of loans from banks outside Himachal and Rs 16,736 crore from banks within the state. Kaul also claimed that Himachals credit recovery is now 85 per cent as compared to 70 to 75 per cent national average. Banks in Himachal have disbursed Rs 3,401 crore for financing 1.76 lakh fresh units under various sectors. Fresh loans of Rs 980 crore have been disbursed to Small Micro & Medium Entrepreneurs Sector and loans worth Rs 851 crore were disbursed for agricultural activities benefiting 1.12 lakh farmers. Speaking during the SLBC Sandhu asked banks to open saving bank accounts of all eligible pensioners and implement biometric card system for distribution of pension at the earliest. Landless farmers should also be listed out separately for providing need-based institutional finance by banks under the new concept of Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) introduced by NABARD, said the chief secretary.
