GUWAHATI, Jan 23 ? Despite repeated requests by the Assam Government and demands from various quarters, the credit-deposit ratio of the banks operating in the State has not improved to the desired extent and the ratio is still much lower than the national average. According to records available, the credit-deposit ratio of the banks operating in Kamrup district as on September 30, 2002 was only 33 per cent, which was eight per cent lower than the ratio of the same period in the previous year. As per records, the CD ratio of some of the banks in the district was even less than 20 per cent. The CD ratio of the Central Bank of India as on September 30 last year was only 18 per cent, of the Indian Overseas Bank was 15 per cent, it was 19 per cent of the Dena Bank and the CD ratio of Apex Bank was only 16 per cent. The CD ratio of most other major banks were between 20 to 35 per cent, while, only the Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and Ind. Co. Op Bank managed to achieve CD ratio of 50 per cent and above.
Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, Minister of State for Finance Nilamani Sen Deka said that the low CD ratio is a cause of concern for the State government and the matter has been taken up with the Central government on several occasions. Deka revealed that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has taken up the matter with Union Finance Minister on several occasions and former Finance Minister Yaswant Sinha, had, in fact asked the nationalised banks operating in the State to increase the CD ratio to at least 50 per cent. He said that the State government is planning to hold a meeting with the officials of the nationalised banks operating in the State next week to discuss the issue and ?we shall again take up the matter at the highest level if necessary?.
The Minister said that the Director, Industries and Director, Panchayat and Rural Development are the members of the State-level Bankers? Committee and the issue was raised in the committee meetings regularly. In the financial year 2000-2001, the CD ratio in the State was only 32 per cent. The banks collected Rs 9,863.72 crore in that year and only an amount of Rs 2994.02 crore was disbursed as loans. He also revealed that the CD ratio should be at least 56 per cent as per central government guidelines. Deka said that the loan recovery position of the banks in Assam was not up to the mark and most of the loans released to the surrendered militants were not repaid.
Meanwhile, Kamrup District Administration sources revealed that the issue of low CD ratio is regularly discussed in the District Consultative Committee and District Level Review Committee meetings and the bankers usually claim that they could not increase the CD ratio because of low recovery rate. Sources said that officially the administration can play a very minor role in loan recovery as the banks have their own machinery for the same. ?But whenever the banks file Bakijai cases, the administration takes every care to expedite the cases,? sources added. Sources, however, said that on some occasions, the banks failed to provide full particulars and even addresses of the loanees to serve the notices.
District Administration sources also said that in the meetings, the bankers often complain about the reluctance of the loanees to repay the loans and there were instances when the villagers attacked the recovery officers of banks. To avoid such instances, the Administration has requested the banks to coordinate with the Circle Officers and the Block Development Officers while going for recovery drives, sources added.