THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has flayed the nationalised and scheduled banks for ignoring the state's pleas to provide easy loans to the common people to curb the activities of illegal money lenders.
“We had repeatedly urged the banks to offer schemes like ‘wrina mukti’ to the common man for their unexpected financial needs. But the banks have ignored the state's pleas, despite the fact that they are receiving huge deposits from the state,”
Mr. Chennithala told reporters after a review meeting of Operation Kubera and other special drives being carried out by the police.
He, however, hailed the cooperative banks for initiating measures like increasing the upper limit of gold loans. “We will urge the cooperative banks to offer more credit schemes to help the ordinary people,” he said.
The police and excise departments were conducting joint operations to check the smuggling of illicit liquor into the state during Onam.
The crime rate in the state had come down by about 30 percent compared to last year as a result of Operation Surakha drive against anti-social elements, he said.
The 'Clean Campus Safe Campus' drive against drug abuse would be intensified. As part of enhancing road safety, 500 more traffic surveillance cameras would be installed in major stretches, he said.
