A district-level quarterly review meeting of bankers was held under the chairmanship of district Collector Ramesh Rout.
Speaking on the occasion, Baleswar MP RK Jena, besides expressing concern over recent scam in the case of PNB, urged all the banks to be vigilant before lending and strengthening audit system in the banks.
"Total outstanding amount is close to 50 per cent. The banking system may collapse one day with such a high overdue," Jena said.
Expressing severe displeasure over the priority sector lending by the bankers of the district, he questioned how the banks were going to meet the target once 9 months have already elapsed. Till now in the current financial year, the performance of the banks in the agriculture and education sector has been dismal.
While the achievements of the district in crop loan is about 29 per cent and MSME’s close to 21 per cent, fisheries sector only 5 per cent, farm mechanisation at 2 per cent and agriculture infra at 2.5 per cent, he wondered how the ambitious plan of doubling the farmers’ income by 2020 would be achieved. He also stressed on supporting the entrepreneurs under the Start-up India and Stand-up India and various other schemes under the Government of India. ZP president Nibedita Mohanty, representatives of RBI, Nabard, lead bank manager Hari Krishna and all banks operating in the district were present.
