Spread Awareness on Central Schemes, Loans: Kishan Reddy
Banks told to give loans to SC/ST and women annually; focus on PM schemes and awareness drives
Hyderabad: The Telangana State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), which met on Monday, decided to step up awareness programmes, particularly targeting small entrepreneurs in the MSME sector. The committee also decided to place greater emphasis on central government schemes related to term loans, agricultural loans and credit in the dairy and poultry sectors.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy directed that each bank branch in the state must extend loans to at least one SC or ST community individual and one woman borrower annually, to ensure inclusive financial access. He underscored the importance of the rapid expansion of banking services across the state, especially in underbanked regions.
The meeting decided to strengthen the implementation of central schemes such as the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Mudra Yojana, and PM SVANidhi (Street Vendor) Scheme. From around 6,000 bank branches in 2014, Telangana has seen the addition of 600 new branches. The banking correspondent model also expanded significantly, with over 80,900 correspondents now working in rural areas to bring essential financial services closer to the population.
It was agreed that additional public awareness campaigns are essential to familiarise citizens with available banking services, loan application procedures and grievance redressal mechanisms. Key areas identified for focused outreach include education loans for students, housing loans, Kisan credit cards for farmers, and credit facilities for self-help groups (SHGs).
Kishan Reddy highlighted the significant growth in agricultural lending in Telangana, which increased from `27,676 crore in 2013–14 to `1,37,346 crore in 2024–25, showcasing the Centre’s robust support to the farming sector. He criticised the state government for failing to fully implement its promised `2 lakh farm loan waiver. Thousands of eligible farmers, including nearly 15,000 associated with Telangana Grameena Banks, are still awaiting disbursal, he said.
The SLBC resolved to work in coordination with state authorities to expedite the loan waiver process and stressed the importance of conducting regular review meetings to track progress.
