State Level Bankers’ Committee holds bottom-up consultation

Officials and participants during the second stage of State Level Bankers’ Committee meeting conducted on August 23 and 24 at Hotel Vivor, Kohima. (Photo Courtesy: SBI) 

Kohima, August 29 (MExN): The second stage of State Level Bankers’ Committee meeting for generation of ideas and consultation was conducted on August 23 and 24 at Hotel Vivor, Kohima with bank officials from Public Sector Banks operating in the State of Nagaland. 

SBI Regional Manager and SLBC Convener Paogin Haokip initiated the meeting by extending welcome to Ajay Kumar Khanna, CGM, SBI, Corporate Centre, Lithrongla G. Chishi, Principal Secretary (I&C), GoN, Taliremba, OSD & Special Secretary (Finance), and Nungsangwapang Jamir, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture and bank officials from Public Sector Banks who were present in the meeting. 

Haokip explained that the meeting is a part of a bottom-up consultative process which is being conducted at the behest of the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, with the primary aim of ideation to come forward with suggestions and recommendations for the growth of the Public Sector Banks while aligning with national priorities and achieving the target of Rs.5 trillion economy. 

Lithrongla G Chishi, Principal Secretary (I&C) in her speech highlighted on the issues and challenges faced by the banks regarding implementation of government sponsored schemes and difficulties faced by the upcoming entrepreneurs in getting credit facilities. She touched upon the difficulties faced by the banks due to lack of good roads, transportation, communication, markets facilities etc. She urged the bankers to seriously deliberate and come up with good and motivating suggestions suited to the local needs and to lessen the constraints coming in the way of desirable level of growth. 

Taliremba, OSD & Special Secretary, Finance GoN, spoke on the issues of financial inclusion and the challenges faced in bringing banking services and facilities to the doorstep of the interior villages. He urged the banks to seriously look into the matter of opening bank branches in the 29 unbanked blocks.

Nungsangwapang Jamir, Additional Secretary Department of Agriculture expressed his appreciation of the contributions of the banks in agricultural sector. However, he pointed out that there are still lakhs of farmers who do not have access to institutional loans due to various reasons like peculiar land holding system.

N. Doulo, Social Entrepreneur, (ex-President of Indian Confederation of Industries, Nagaland Chapter) shared his innovative ideas of doing banking business which is already been tried and tested put in his Company. 

“The ideas and suggestions for improvement of performance bank-wise in the state generated after two days of deliberation will now be forwarded to the Head Office/Corporate Centre of each Bank to be presented and discussed at the National level inter-PSB group consultation,” stated a press release issued by the SBI Regional Manager.