Date:16/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/16/stories/2008031652620300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Bankers asked to achieve targets

Correspondent

MAHABUBNAGAR: Minister for Rural Development G. Chinna Reddy has requested the bankers to make all efforts to achieve the targets up to maximum extent by March 31.

Addressing the district-level bankers review meeting here on Saturday the Minister said that under bank linkage loans out of Rs.306 crore target only Rs.132 crore loans were extended to self help groups.

The Minister urged the bankers to extend at least Rs.200 crore loans before March end. Mahabubnagar was the only district lagging far behind in this regard in the entire State, he said. The Minister informed that out of 192 bank branches in the district only 35 branches have extended more than one crore loans and some 150 branches have failed to extend loans to the women self help groups. He said that the self help groups were making repayment of loans up to 99 percent. The Nagarkurnool MP, M. Jagannath has pointed out that the achievement in extending loans to the members of scheduled cast and scheduled tribes are very poor in the district and wanted to know why the bankers are not in a position to give loans to the SC, ST members.

Collector V.Usharani said that the bank branches which were lagging behind in achieving the targets would be provided manpower from the concerned departments to complete their documentation process. RS member Ravula Chandra Shekara Reddy, MLA Puli Veeranna, DCCB Chairman K.Veera Reddy, Municipal Chairperson Obedullha Kotwal also participated.