Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

District panchayat chief flays nationalised banks

PATHANAMTHITTA: A majority of the nationalised banks in the district had been adopting an “indifferent attitude” towards various welfare measures announced by the Union and State governments for the common people and farmers, alleged Babu George, district panchayat president.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Mr. George said all nationalised banks, except for the Indian Overseas Bank and the South Malabar Gramin Bank, dissociated themselves from a stakeholders' meeting convened by the district panchayat on Saturday to discuss the implementation of various welfare measures announced by the Centre and the State.

He said the meeting was a very important one, regarding the socio-economic development of the district, but the failure on the part of the banks to attend the same amounted to criminal negligence. He said the issue would soon be taken up with the authorities concerned.

The district panchayat president said nationalised banks had to play a key role in the socio-economic development of the State. He further stressed on the effective utilisation of the “hefty bank deposits” in Pathanamthitta with a very low credit-deposit ratio.

A change in the mindset of bank authorities in the district was the need of the hour to facilitate the implementation of various welfare measures announced by governments from time to time, he added.

District-level officials of various government departments and agencies, school-college principals, representatives of farmers, farm workers and trade unions also attended the meeting.

Fish farming scheme

Mr. George said the district panchayat had decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Overseas Bank and the South Malabar Gramin Bank for implementing fish farming projects worth Rs.3 lakh each in 17 places in the district.

Discussions were held in detail on the comprehensive development of various government schools in the district.

Green School

Mr. George said the district panchayat had also decided to declare the Government School, Chittar, a ‘Green School.'

He said a comprehensive development plan for the district would soon be launched. “Cooperation of financial institutions, especially the nationalised banks, was a must for its time-bound implementation,” he said.

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