The banks in Dakshina Kannada district have crossed business level of Rs 14,836 crore as on March 2007.

The business is achieved by 367 bank branches in the district which includes deposits of Rs 9,111 crore and advances of Rs 5,725 crore, said Lead District Manager, Syndicate Bank U K Holla.

Speaking at the district consultative committee and district-level review committee meeting for banking development of the district held at Zilla Panchayat auditorium here on Wednesday, he said under district credit plan, banks have disbursed Rs 2,554 crore during the year ended March as against the target of R 1,831 crore recording an achievement of 139 per cent.

He said under priority sector credit against the annual target of R 1,322 crore, Rs 1,555 crore has been disbursed, recording an achievement of 114 per cent of annual target.

The lending under the priority sector includes Rs 731 crore to agriculture, Rs 214 crore to small scale industries and Rs 610 crore to other priority sector. The banks have also lent Rs 323 crore to 56,743 farmers under Kissan credit card schemes, Rs 587 crore to women, Rs 860 crore to weaker sections and Rs 813 crore to minorities, he added.

Govt schemes

Mr Holla said under government sponsored schemes-during 2006-07, banks have sanctioned loans to 701 beneficiaries against the target of 700 under Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and Dakshina Kannada district stands first in the state.

Under Swarna Jayanthi Grama Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY), loans to 123 individuals and 82 Self-Help Groups have been sanctioned. Under schemes of Backward Classes and Minorities Development Corporation, banks have sanctioned 262 cases under Chaitanya scheme and 352 cases under Swawalambhana scheme.

Under scheme of SC/ST Development Corporation, banks have sanctioned 181 cases.  Under Sthree Shakthi programme, 3,585 SHGs have been formed and banks have sanctioned loans to 494 groups during the year.

A total of 36,606 Self-Help Groups have been formed in the district out of which 28,599 groups have been credit linked to the tune of Rs 199.64 crore which is the highest in the state.

FINANCIAL INCLUSION

Lead District Manager, Syndicate Bank U K Holla said DK district is to be declared as 100 per cent financially included as per RBI direction. Banks, so far have opened 81,252 no frill accounts and provided general credit cards to 3,046 beneficiaries.

He said DK will be declared as 100 per cent financial inclusion by the end of July. Seven districts in the State have already brought under financial inclusion viz; Gulbarga, Koppala, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Davangere, Haveri, Bagalkot. Udupi, Chikmagalur and Mandya have already attained 100 per cent in financial inclusion. But they are yet to announced officially. 

He said a survey will be conducted on the success of financial inclusion in the district with the help of three NGOs namely Guruvayanakere Nagarika Seva Trust, Navodaya Grama Vikasa Charitable Trust and Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Developement Project (SKDRDP).

RBI will also evaluate those district which have already been declared as 100 per cent financial inclusion. The assessment should have been started in the month of July. However, it will start in the month of September, informed a senior official to Deccan Herald.