Amit Shah hails lowering of interest rates

Shah said lower rates will make housing and vehicle loans more affordable.

New Delhi, Jan 1: BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday welcomed the lowering of base interest rates by top public sector banks in the country and said the money deposited with them following demonetisation would boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "pro-poor welfare" campaign.

Shah said the lower rates would boost growth, especially in the Micro, Small and Medium enterprise sector, and create employment. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked banks to prioritise their lending towards the poor and middle class, top PSU lenders State Bank, PNB and Union Bank slashed their benchmark lending rates by up to 90 basis points.

"I hail Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to the banks to go above and beyond their traditional priorities and give importance to the needs of the poor, the lower and the middle classes. I also welcome the SBI's decision to lower its benchmark interest rate by 0.9 per cent. I am confident that the resources with our banks following demonetisation will give a boost to Modi's campaign for the poor's welfare, and the country will move fast to become a strong economy with broad base," he said in a statement.

Shah said lower rates will make housing and vehicle loans more affordable. Increase in housing activities in small towns and villages will give rise in employment for the unskilled work force.

He also made a reference to housing schemes announced by Modi on Saturday in this regard. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was reassuring that banks were lowering their interest rates following PM Modi's appeal on Saturday.

"This announcement is going to further boost growth. We appreciate the decision of the banks. All of this will help to make India's economy not only more honest, but will also widen the tax base and accelerate growth," he said.

PTI