Poor crop loan distribution by banks irks Collector

Kothagudem: DistrictCollector Jitesh V Patil has urged bankers to extend their cooperation in achieving the developmental goals set by the government by ensuring timely disbursement of loans to eligible beneficiaries. Addressing a review meeting on Saturday, the Collector, along with Bhadrachalam Sub-Collector Mrinal Shreshta, interacted with district-level bank officials and government department heads.

He expressed concern over the poor performance of certain banks, particularly Telangana Grameena Bank and the State Bank of India, in crop loan distribution. The Collector sought explanations from the respective banks regarding the shortfall.

The Collector stated that out of the targeted Rs 2,291 crore for crop loans this financial year, only Rs 409.55 crore had been disbursed till the end of September. Similarly, of the Rs 1,416.09 crore target set for agriculture term loans, only Rs 342.31 crore had been released so far. Highlighting the importance of livelihood promotion, he instructed bankers to sanction loans for fish farming units, country chicken rearing units, and similar activities under Self-Help Group programmes. He expressed dissatisfaction over the underperformance of some banks in meeting set targets and directed that concrete steps be taken to establish 500 such units within the next three months. He made it clear that non-cooperation from banks will not be tolerated. He also directed that a special one-day exposure visit be organised for all bankers to personally visit fish and poultry units, so they can better understand the impact of these initiatives and encourage further loan support.