Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressing the Bankers’ Conclave & Credit Outreach programme in Kohima on August 23. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
Gives 90 days for outreach campaign in all districts
Morung Express News
Kohima | August 23
Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman tasked the banking sectors in the state and the state government to promptly facilitate all eligible beneficiaries to avail the various schemes targeted for the common man.
Speaking at the Bankers’ Conclave & Credit Outreach programme on her second day visit to the state this morning at the Capital Cultural Hall, Kohima, Sitharaman was of the opinion that the banks and the state government need to do more to ensure that the schemes and programmes reach the intended target.
“I want all eligible citizens to benefit from each one of those eligible programmes,” she asserted.
She also maintained that today, Indian banks have come out of undue interference in their functioning. Many of them have come out of difficult situations which were a result of a certain kind of ‘fool banking’ which happened at one point of time in India, wherein ‘cronies’ got the loans and eligible citizens were left out.
To this end, iterating that the Prime Minister’s initiatives (schemes and programmes) are basically aimed at the common man, she asserted that “all eligible common man should get a scheme for which for he is fit and proper,” while emphasising on those, “who are eligible and not random anyone.”
Referring to Nagaland Chief Minister’s speech where he indicated that 70% of the population are farmers, Sitharaman conjectured as to why there are only 70,000 beneficiaries under Kissan Credit Cards (KCC) when a target of 2.3 lakh has been set for the state of Nagaland.
Although 1418 beneficiaries have been added during the two-day programme, she stated “that’s not enough.”
To ensure that every eligible citizen in the state benefits from the various schemes and programme, she has given 90-day time frame beginning from September 1- November 30 for the banks to carry out the outreach campaign from district by district. She further directed the banks to take it upon themselves and give feedbacks on the achievements as well as the difficulties in the course of doing it.
Here three interventions and takeaways are “saturate by district, ensure to have more banking correspondents if and where necessary and outreach to commence by September 1.”
Saturate district by district
Directing the banks to commence their outreach campaign by September 1, Sitharaman said “before November 30, I want every eligible citizen who wants to be assisted for the schemes to be reached out.”
Acknowledging the terrain of the state which can no doubt be challenging, she said the need for more banking correspondents is ‘absolutely essential’ in order to achieve something in Nagaland in a time bound manner.
The banks were further directed to announce their outreach programmes well ahead of time using various means of communication to enable eligible beneficiaries to avail the schemes and programmes targeted for them.
Directing the banks to ‘go one little extra mile’, Sitharaman said that focus has to be brought back towards identifying eligible beneficiaries and promptly facilitating them.
“Saturate by district where you have less people covered and you need to have more. Take in more banking correspondents if and where necessary. Focus on a district. Then move on to another district,” directed Sitharaman.
She also suggested the banking sectors to make use of the local representatives to understand who is doing what and to identify all eligible beneficiaries adding, “I am tasking the banks to go and look for these people through the local representatives.”
“Undertake outreach by district from September 1 to November 30 which is well before Christmas. I want all every eligible citizens to be assisted and benefit from each one of those eligible programmes,” asserted Sitharaman.
Government must assist
Further directing the state government, she asked the chief minister to use the state machinery in all the districts (district administration and local representatives) in assisting the banks towards identifying ‘eligible beneficiaries and not random anyone.’
“I am encouraging eligible citizens to avail and not cronies,” said Sitharaman while asking the state government for their assistance in mobilising the district administration in all the districts.
She also assured, “the banks will be on their toes and they will definitely reach out as well,” and called for district campaigns for these particular PM’s initiatives which are aimed for the common man.
