CM Dhami Directs Banks to Boost Credit-Deposit Ratio Through Special Outreach Camps
Special drive to be launched in districts with low CD ratio; focus on easier access to loans and government welfare schemes
Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed banks and district authorities to intensify efforts to improve the state’s Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio, particularly in districts where the ratio remains below the desired level. He emphasized that banking services and government welfare schemes should reach every eligible citizen without unnecessary hurdles.
Chairing the 97th meeting of the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) at the Secretariat on Thursday, the Chief Minister reviewed banking services, credit disbursement, financial inclusion, and the implementation of various self-employment and entrepreneurship schemes.
Highlighting the banking sector’s crucial role in the state’s economic growth, CM Dhami instructed banks to ensure easier access to institutional credit for farmers, youth, women, entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and small businesses.
Special focus on six low CD ratio districts
Expressing concern over the relatively low Credit-Deposit Ratio in Bageshwar, Pauri Garhwal, Almora, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, and Tehri, the Chief Minister directed that regular credit outreach camps be organized in these districts.
He instructed district administrations, lead banks, and concerned departments to jointly identify eligible beneficiaries and facilitate timely sanction of loans under various government schemes. He also asked officials to prepare a time-bound strategy to raise Uttarakhand’s Credit-Deposit Ratio to the national average.
Eligible beneficiaries should not suffer due to technical issues
CM Dhami stressed that no eligible citizen should be deprived of government welfare benefits merely due to technical deficiencies in their applications. Instead of rejecting applications outright, officials and banks should guide applicants in rectifying deficiencies so they can receive the intended benefits.
He urged banks to adopt a beneficiary-centric approach and play a proactive role in extending the benefits of government schemes to deserving individuals.
Strong performance under Annual Credit Plan
The Chief Minister noted that Uttarakhand achieved around 96 percent of its Annual Credit Plan target during FY 2025-26, while the MSME sector recorded an impressive 111 percent achievement, reflecting the state’s improving economic performance.
Although the state’s Credit-Deposit Ratio has shown improvement, he said greater coordinated efforts by all banks are necessary to achieve higher levels of credit flow.
Priority lending under self-employment schemes
CM Dhami directed banks to give priority to eligible beneficiaries under key employment-generation and entrepreneurship schemes, including:
- Chief Minister Self-Employment Scheme 2.0
- Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Self-Employment Scheme
- Homestay Scheme
- PM Vishwakarma Scheme
- Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
- Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
He also emphasized expanding institutional credit to sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, tourism, and enterprises based on local products to strengthen the rural economy.
Expand digital banking across villages
The Chief Minister instructed banks to accelerate the expansion of digital banking and digital payment services across rural areas. He also emphasized strengthening financial inclusion and ensuring that schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana reach the maximum number of beneficiaries.
Banking sector vital for a Developed Uttarakhand
CM Dhami said that close coordination between the government and the banking sector would create new opportunities for employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship, and investment, thereby accelerating the state’s journey towards becoming a Developed Uttarakhand.
Chief Secretary calls for stronger action against cyber fraud
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan recommended integrating representatives of State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank with the national cybercrime helpline 1930 to ensure swift action in cyber fraud cases.
He also directed that regular meetings of the SLBC Sub-Committee be held before every State Level Bankers’ Committee meeting to facilitate detailed reviews and timely resolution of pending issues.
The Chief Secretary urged banks to increase credit flow to livelihood promotion, MSMEs, small industries, and productive sectors, stating that greater institutional lending would boost employment generation and economic activity across Uttarakhand.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, Dr. R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Dilip Jawalkar, Nitesh Jha, Dr. B.V.R.C. Purushottam, Vinay Shankar Pandey, S.N. Pandey, Shridhar Babu Adanki, Dheeraj Garbyal, Regional Director of the Reserve Bank of India Arvind Kumar, NABARD General Manager Pankaj Yadav, senior officials from SBI, PNB, other banks, government departments, and representatives of industry associations.
