Latest news with #StateLevelBankers'Committee
United News of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- United News of India
Kerala emerging as hotspot for Mule account, warns SLBC convener
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 (UNI) Kerala is fast emerging as a hotspot for mule accounts, with fraudsters increasingly targeting students to open bank accounts that are later misused for money laundering and cybercrimes, warned State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) Kerala & Lakshadweep Convener Pradeep K.S. The three-month nationwide financial inclusion campaign, launched by the Department of Financial Services under the Union Ministry of Finance, has already been completed in about 500 gram panchayats across Kerala. He cautioned that school and college students are particularly vulnerable to fraudsters who lure them into opening mule accounts for illegal transactions. 'Holders of such accounts risk imprisonment, a permanent criminal record and blacklisting by banks. Awareness campaigns are being conducted in educational institutions to alert youth against digital fraud and online scams,' he said. Highlighting the need for mandatory re-KYC (Know Your Customer) updates, Pradeep said around 57 lakh bank accounts in Kerala—nearly 20 percent of the total—require re-KYC, including PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts. 'Government benefits and subsidies cannot be withdrawn if re-KYC is pending,' he clarified. The SLBC Convener also urged greater awareness of social security schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and the Atal Pension Yojana, particularly among unorganised sector workers. He further pointed out that unclaimed deposits worth Rs 67,000 crore remain idle across the country, underscoring the importance of ensuring proper nomination in all bank accounts. As part of the inclusion drive, banks are organising service camps in every gram panchayat. In Kerala, 500 out of 941 panchayats have already been covered. The nationwide campaign will continue until September 30, 2025, he told a press conference, which was also attended by Press Information Bureau officials—Additional Director General V Palanichamy and Deputy Director George Mathew. UNI DS SS
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Kerala emerges as hotspot for mule accounts: SLBC convener
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is increasingly emerging as a hotspot for mule accounts used in , State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) Kerala and Lakshadweep convener Pradeep K S said in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Pradeep was addressing a news conference on the nationwide three-month saturation campaign for financial inclusion launched by the department of financial services, ministry of finance. He cautioned that fraudsters are targeting school and college students to open mule accounts, which are then misused for money laundering and online scams. Awareness programmes are being conducted in educational institutions to warn students against such practices, he added. Pradeep said those holding mule accounts face serious legal consequences, including imprisonment, a permanent criminal record and blacklisting by financial institutions. He urged people to remain vigilant against digital fraud. On banking services, he said re-KYC is required for accounts that completed ten years, including PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts. He noted that benefits such as subsidies from govt schemes cannot be withdrawn from accounts with pending re-KYC. In Kerala, 57 lakh accounts — about 20% of the total — require re-KYC, he added. He also explained the benefits of govt-backed insurance and pension schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and the Atal Pension Yojana, especially for workers in the unorganised sector. He pointed out that unclaimed deposits worth Rs 67,000 crore remain with banks across India, underlining the importance of making nominations in banking services. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As part of the campaign, banks are conducting camps in every gram panchayat to provide services directly to people. In Kerala, 500 out of 942 panchayats were already covered. The nationwide drive will continue until Sept 30, 2025. The news conference was also attended by V Palanichamy, additional director general, Press Information Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram and George Mathew, deputy director, Press Information Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
State govt vows increased support for tenant farmers
Special chief secretary, agriculture, Budithi Rajasekhar said the state government is commit-ted to empowering tenant farmers by streamlining access to credit and government schemes through the Crop Cultivator Rights Cards (CCRCs) initiative, ensuring they receive their rightful benefits. Rajasekhar participated in the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) meeting via Webex on CCRC lending, joined by district agriculture officers, lead bank managers, CCLA officials, di-rector of agriculture S Dilli Rao, SLBC convenor Bhaskara Rao, and others. Rajasekhar stressed the importance of CCRC lending, directing lead district managers to sanction crop loans to eligible CCRC holders as per the 2025–26 scale of finance. Dilli Rao urged district agriculture officers and bank officials to comply with the AP Crop Culti-vators Rights Act, 2019, to provide institutional credit to all eligible CCRC holders without lapses. The 2019 Act enables tenant farmers to access crop loans, insurance, and other benefits through CCRCs without affecting landowners' rights. Dilli Rao said that in 2024–25, 91 per cent of the CCRC lending target was achieved, with Rs 4,474.11 crore disbursed against a target of Rs 4,000 crore. For 2025–26, 5.99 lakh CCRC cards were issued, including 75,858 renewals, with Rs 838 crore disbursed against a target of Rs 8,000 crore. Instructions were issued to enhance coordination between bankers and lead district manag-ers to streamline loan sanctions for individual CCRC holders.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh pushes banks to step up credit flow to tenant farmers
The Andhra Pradesh government has placed Crop Cultivator Rights Cards (CCRCs) at the centre of its tenant farmer empowerment drive, reaffirming its commitment to provide institutional credit and extend welfare schemes to cultivators without land titles. At a virtual State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) review meeting on Monday, Budithi Rajsekhar, EO Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation), directed banks and officials to ensure that all eligible CCRC holders receive crop loans in line with the prescribed Scale of Finance for 2025–26. He stressed that tenant farmers must not be denied credit and sought strict monitoring by banks and district authorities. Director of Agriculture Dilli Rao reported that in 2024–25, CCRC issuance touched 91% of the target, facilitating tenant lending of ₹4,474.11 crore against the target of ₹4,000 crore. For 2025–26, 5.99 lakh CCRCs (including 75,858 renewals) have already been issued, and ₹838 crore disbursed against the ₹8,000 crore crop loan target. He urged district officers to expedite CCRC issuance, verify eligibility, and motivate farmers to approach banks, while ensuring compliance with the Andhra Pradesh Crop Cultivators Rights Act, 2019. The meeting also flagged the need for closer coordination between bankers and Lead District Managers to streamline sanctioning and disbursal. Calling for full cooperation from banks, Mr. Rao said the government is committed to protecting tenant farmers' interests by ensuring reliable access to credit and agricultural growth opportunities.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SLBC sets Rs 2L cr MSME credit target for Bengal
Kolkata: State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) has set a target of Rs 2 lakh crore credit line for Bengal's MSME sector in 2025-26. It also envisaged a 15% credit growth in the state's agriculture sector. This was disclosed by SLBC convenor and PNB GM Balbir Singh at a programme on financial inclusion in Bengal under the banner 'Varta', on Thursday. Saying that SLBC had achieved credit target of Rs 1.8 lakh crore for MSME in the state in 2024-25, Singh added that there are 45 lakh registered MSMEs in Bengal, which is 7% of India's total registered MSMEs. In the agri sector, banks disbursed Rs 1 lakh crore in 2024-25, and there will be similar figures this year. The credit to self-help groups would go up to Rs 35,000 crore this fiscal from Rs 30,000 crore last year. Singh added that the credit deposit ratio in the state was 70%, which was higher than the minimum CD ratio needed of 40%. However, in 14 districts, the CD ratio of the banks was much less than the state-level average. Kolkata and Cooch Behar, however, had a CD ratio of more than 100%. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Nabard chief GM PK Bhardwaj said the institution was supporting 118 centres of financial literacy across the state. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
