WB Govt urges bankers to extend help to the flood-affected

The West Bengal government today urged bankers to come forward with easy terms on loans to the farmers, artisans and others affected in the flood and help them repair their houses and make their land fit for farming.
Chairing a special meeting of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) here, state Finance minister Amit Mitra today made several suggestions to the bankers with an appeal to stand by the flood affected people so that they could restore their normal life at the earliest possible.
Mitra, however, did not raise the issue of loan waiver in the meeting as the matter did not rest with the SLBC or individual bankers.

"The decision on loan waiver is not in the jurisdiction of SLBC. The Centre can only take a decision on this and ask the bankers to allow loan waivers," Mitra said.
"The Chief Minister has already discussed the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now we have to wait for the Centre's decision," Mitra said.
The suggestions placed by the state government to the bankers included increase in reclamation period on existing loans by three to seven years, conversion of short term loans into long terms ones, immediate grant of loans up to Rs 10,000 without collaterals, moratorium on payment of interest on existing loans for one year and waiver of margin money for new loans.

"We have made several suggestions to the bankers with an appeal to stand beside the flood affected people in the state. The reactions from the bankers were extremely positive and they have assured us of all possible cooperation in this regard," Mitra said.
The meeting specifically discussed the matter of loans on agriculture, pump and tubewells, desiltation programmes, pisciculture, horticulture and small scale industries, he said.
The District Consultative Committees (DCC) in each affected district would assess the situation in a meeting on August 18, while on August 20, the minister would again review the situation.