Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 2: Banking system in the state issued a total of 3,276 Swarozgar Credit Cards (SCC) in the first half of this financial year with no participation from private sector banks as most cards were issued by public sector lenders, Regional Rural Banks and co-operative lenders.
SCC scheme was introduced in September 2003 for providing adequate, timely and uninterrupted credit like working capital and block capital requirements to the small artisans, handloom weavers and other self -employed persons including micro-entrepreneurs, and SHGs among others.
This is a government sponsored scheme which is targeted at non-farm sector.
As per data furnished by State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), public sector banks issued 1,901cards with disbursement of Rs 5.02 crore to beneficiaries. Outstanding amount as on September, 2015 for the public sector lenders stood at Rs 33.82 crore.
Performance of private sector banks was dismal as not a single private sector bank issued or had any outstanding amount under this scheme by the end of September quarter.
Regional rural banks like Orissa Gramya Bank and Utkal Grameen Bank had issued 244 cards with total disbursement of Rs 83 lakh during this period.
Outstanding amount of all RRBs stood at Rs 48.83 crore by the end of September quarter.
Orissa State Co-operative Bank had issued 1,131 accounts with a disbursement of Rs 4 crore during April-September period. It had Rs 16.51 crore outstanding by the end of September quarter.
“No SCC has been issued by private sector Banks and a few public sector banks. The performance of other banks is not at all impressive and needs a lot of improvement,” the SLBC report said.
