Sri Vijaya Puram, 29 August : The Quarterly Review Meeting for June, 2025 of the District Consultative Committee (DCC) and District Level Review Committee (DLRC) of South Andaman District on financial inclusion and implementation of flagship government schemes was held on 29th August 2025 under the chairmanship of Mr. Arjun Sharma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, at the Conference Hall of the DC Office, Sri Vijaya Puram. The meeting was attended by senior officials including Mr. Santosh Sahu, Regional Manager, State Bank of India, Mr. C. Raj, Director, RSETI, Mr. P. K. Ummer Farooq, Chief Manager, UTLBC A&N Islands, Mr. Vivek Bharati, LDO, RBI, Mr. E. Pratap, AGM, NABARD, Mr. Anil, Assistant Engineer, NRSE, along with representatives from banks and government departments.
The Deputy Commissioner emphasized the need for greater outreach and disbursement under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, urging banks to popularize the scheme among citizens and also explore credit facilities for traders and hoteliers to install solar power systems in commercial establishments. As of 30th June 2025, a total of 36 applications had been received under the scheme, out of which 30 were sanctioned. Mr. Santosh Sahu informed that State Bank of India is offering loans up to ₹10 crore under the “Surya Shakti Solar Finance” scheme to support SME and non-SME enterprises in setting up solar projects.
Reviewing the progress of Pradhan Mantri Flagship Schemes, the Deputy Commissioner directed banks to cover all eligible citizens under PMSBY, PMJJBY and APY. While appreciating the efforts of some banks, he noted that overall performance remained unsatisfactory and instructed banks to engage their field staff more effectively to enroll all eligible beneficiaries.
With regard to PM Vishwakarma Yojana, it was informed that 215 loan applications were received by banks, out of which 77 were sanctioned. The Deputy Commissioner directed early sanctioning of all pending cases to ensure timely benefits to artisans and craftsmen.
On Priority Sector Lending (PSL), it was highlighted that banks achieved 32.75% performance, disbursing ₹542.79 crore during the first quarter against the annual target of ₹1657.34 crore. The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that banks must achieve the statutory PSL target mandated by the Reserve Bank of India.
The meeting also reviewed the Credit Deposit Ratio, which stood at 63.07%, reflecting a decline of 2.85% during the quarter. The Deputy Commissioner directed banks to analyze the reasons for the reduction and initiate corrective measures.
Mr. C. Raj, Director, RSETI, briefed the gathering on training initiatives and informed that the first batch of LMV driver training under the “SARTHANI” scheme will commence at Swaraj Dweep from 30th August 2025. He also apprised that progress on land allotment for RSETI was underway. The Deputy Commissioner instructed that annual training targets must be achieved in a time-bound manner.
The Deputy Commissioner concluded the meeting by calling upon all banks and institutions to work in close coordination for the effective implementation of schemes and to extend the benefits of financial inclusion to every eligible citizen of South Andaman.
