UP trails behind W Bengal, Orissa in CD ratio

Lucknow, Sep 1 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh lags behind states like West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Orissa in the credit- desposit ratio.

UP's CD ratio stood at 47 per cent as compared to a mere 33 per cent in the year 2003, the state still lagged behind MP (60 per cent), Orissa (65 per cent), Chattisgarh (50 per cent) and West Bengal (57 per cent), the state legislastive assembly was informed.

But as compared to Bihar (30 per cent) and Jharkhand (34 per cent), UP had laiger CD ratio.

''Though the the CD ratio was a Central subject, the state government had been regulary interacting with banks to increase the credit-ratio. We are constantly reviewing the development in our interactions with the top brass of banks, including Allahabad Bank, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda,'' state Parliamentary Affairs minister Md Azam Khan said.

He claimed that the efforts of the state government have resulted in an increase of CD ratio from 33 per cent in March, 2003 to 47 per cent in March, 2006 -- an increase of 14 per cent.

While in the fiscal 2003-04, the loan disbursement was Rs 7,848 crore, it increased to Rs 13,752 in the last fiscal (2005-06) -- a jump of Rs 5,904 crore.

As part of its efforts to increase the CD ratio, the state government has increased the limit of stamp duty waiver to Rs 5 lakh for banks while disbursing agriculture-related loans.

The national CD ratio average stood at 60 per cent, Mr Khan said in reply to a written poser by Jagdambika Pal (Cong). Khan was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who also holds the Finance portfolio.

UNI NAB MB CS RAI1322