CD ratio lays foundation for assertive efforts: Assam CS Dr. Ravi Kota

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota said that although the CD (credit-deposit) Ratio in the state has improved only marginally, it signifies positive momentum and lays the foundation for more assertive efforts in the coming months. He urged all banks to increase credit deployment across key sectors, deepen financial inclusion initiatives and tap emerging opportunities, including the growing real estate potential in Guwahati.

The Chief Secretary also highlighted that the upcoming Business Call Centre in Assam is expected to boost business confidence and improve customer outreach. The State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) meeting 2nd quarter of FY 2025-26 was held on December 9 under the chairmanship of Dr. Kota. Also present at the meeting were Assam and senior officials from the Government of Assam, the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, SIDBI and various banks.

Key attendees included RBI Regional Director Sushmita Phukan, SBI Chief General Manager Prabhas Bose and NABARD CGM Loken Das.

During the meeting the State’s Credit Deposit (CD) Ratio was reviewed, which recorded a marginal improvement during the quarter. Banks were urged to intensify their efforts to move closer to the national benchmark, with special emphasis on improving the CD Ratio in the Barak Valley districts. The need to strengthen agricultural credit particularly under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme and enhance MSME lending was highlighted. The performance under the Annual Credit Plan was also assessed, and banks that achieved less than 50 percent of their targets were advised to take immediate corrective measures. The meeting further evaluated the progress of Government-sponsored schemes, encouraging certain banks to enhance their participation and better utilize the available potential.

During the meeting, Non-Performing Asset (NPA) trends across schemes were reviewed. The meeting also assessed the status of the digital payments ecosystem, where 13 districts have achieved complete digitization, with instructions issued to expedite the remaining work. Sushmita Phukan, Regional Director, RBI, highlighted the need to improve Re-KYC compliance and focus on the campaign for settlement of unclaimed deposits. These initiatives, along with ongoing land digitization efforts by the State Government, are expected to significantly improve service delivery and ease of access to financial services, she added.

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