Shimla, June 8 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh government Friday asked banks to invest in infrastructural financing and focus on micro financing in the state.
Addressing bankers here, Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy said investments in infrastructural financing have vast potential. "The government is encouraging public-private partnership in this field."
Reviewing the progress under financial inclusion in the state, the chief secretary said the banks have identified 532 unbanked villages with populations of above 1,000 and these villages would be provided banking outlets in this fiscal.
At present, the state has a network of 1,564 bank branches, of which 75 new branches were opened in the previous year.
Executive director of UCO Bank S.Chandrasekharan said the banks have planned to lend Rs.3,211 crore for the agriculture sector under Annual Credit Plan 2012-13.
He said the deposits in banks have grown by 15 percent and maintained at the level of Rs.42,813 crore while annual growth in advances registered at 14 percent and reached the level of Rs.22,146 crore up to March 2012.
