Kolkata: The credit-deposit ratio (CDR), a key measure of the total loan of the bank`s deposits, has improved by 1 percent this year at 68 percent in West Bengal, state Finance Minister Amit Mitra said here on Saturday.
Mitra said that although there has been an improvement in the CDR, it was still below the national average.
"It is below the national average, which is a little more than 70 percent," he said after chairing the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) meeting here.
Mitra said that during the fiscal year ended March 31, 17.31 lakh Kisan Credit Cards to small and marginal farmers were issued against a set target of 10 lakh.
During 2013-14, 6.34 lakh cards were issued.
He said credit linkages to "fresh self help groups" in the state were to the tune of Rs.1,14,041 during 2014-15.
Appreciating the banks for increasing the credit flow to micro, small, medium enterprises, minority communities and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the minister called for opening of branches in panchayats which were still left out of banking.
P. Srinivas, United Bank of India managing director and CEO and SLBC chairman in Bengal, said the agricultural disbursement under the Annual Credit Plan during 2014-15 stood at Rs.23,327 crore, which was an increase of 12.9 percent over last year.
He said the disbursement to the medium and small industries sector stood at Rs.15,046 crore a credit growth of 10 percent.
Credit to the minority community during 2014-15 increased to 18 percent against 15.9 percent and banks in West Bengal have opened 1.1 crore accounts, with Rupay cards issued to 85 percent of them.
Banks in the state have also enrolled 42.69 lakh customers for the Prime Minister`s Suraksha Bima Yojana and 13.7 lakh customers for the Prime Minister`s Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.
