Arunachal: NABARD, RBI Stress SHG Role in Credit Planning
At a first-of-its-kind joint conference in Itanagar, RBI and NABARD officials urged coordinated efforts to improve priority sector lending and deepen financial inclusion.
ITANAGAR- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) organised a first-of-its-kind joint conference of Lead District Managers (LDMs) and District Development Managers (DDMs) in Itanagar on Friday, aimed at strengthening coordination in the implementation of the Lead Bank Scheme and accelerating financial inclusion initiatives across Arunachal Pradesh.
Held at the D.K. Convention Hall, the event brought together officials from RBI, NABARD, and district-level banking institutions to review gaps, share field experiences, and identify actionable measures for improving credit delivery.
In his welcome address, Ekansh Garg, Manager, RBI, outlined the objectives of the conference, emphasising the need for synchronised efforts to improve the state’s Priority Sector Lending (PSL) performance and raise its Credit–Deposit (CD) ratio, which continues to lag behind the national average.
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Addressing the gathering, Ramjatan Kumar Paswan, OIC, RBI Itanagar, called for stronger teamwork between LDMs, DDMs and RBI’s Lead Development Officers (LDOs).
He stressed that coordinated engagement among frontline banking institutions is essential for the effective rollout of the Lead Bank Scheme in a geographically challenging state like Arunachal Pradesh.
RBI Manager Amit Yadav delivered a detailed presentation on the Lead Bank Scheme’s operational framework, highlighting persistent gaps in credit flow to priority sectors such as agriculture, MSMEs and weaker sections.
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In another session, RBI Manager Raju Manpang briefed participants on the role of Centres for Financial Literacy (CFLs) in improving grassroots financial awareness. He said CFLs remain critical to ensuring that rural households understand banking services, digital payments, and their rights as customers.
Pankaj Kumar, AGM, NABARD, discussed the importance of aligning the Annual Credit Plan (ACP) with the Potential Linked Plan (PLP), stressing that district credit targets must be realistic, need-based, and backed by strong SHG ecosystems.
He underlined the pivotal role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in expanding last-mile financial inclusion and strengthening credit absorption capacity.
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Similarly, Kamal Roy, AGM, District Development, NABARD, shared insights on NABARD’s credit planning processes and the SHG–Bank Linkage Programme, noting that community-based financial structures continue to be the backbone of rural credit delivery.
The conference concluded with an interactive question–answer session, allowing district managers and officials to raise operational challenges and discuss ways to enhance coordination for improved banking outcomes in the state.
