Kolkata, Dec 21 (IANS) The socially backward class in West Bengal, including people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the Other Backward Class (OBC), continues to have limited access to institutional loans, according to findings from a bankers’ body.
During the first six months of the current financial year, 2025-26, the total institutional loan granted in West Bengal stood at Rs 48,08,752.02 crore, out of which just Rs 29,654.03 crore was granted to the socially backward classes.
Statistically, it means that only six per cent of the total loans granted in the state during the period under review were for socially backward class people.
In terms of the number of recipients of such loans during the same period, the representation from the socially backward classes was negligible of the total number of recipients. During the period under review, the total number of institutional loan recipients from the socially backward class was 15,12,216 as compared to the total number of recipients at 64,07,678.
This means that the number of institutional loan receipts from the socially backward classes was just 23 per cent of the total number of recipients.
The figure was given at the latest meeting of the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), West Bengal, a committee which has representations from the banks operating in the state as well as the state government. The minutes of the meeting are available with IANS.
However, the silver lining was that the credit to deposit (CD) ratio in West Bengal as on September 30, 2025, improved substantially over the figure during the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
The CD ratio as of September 30, 2025, stood at 70.59 per cent compared to 69.88 per cent as of September 30, 2024. However, at the same time, a negative trend in the CD ratio was observed during that period in the case of districts like Birbhum, Kolkata, Malda, and Purulia.
Former West Bengal finance minister and the current chief economic advisor to the state government, Amit Mitra, urged the lead district managers of these districts to initiate immediate remedial measures.
–IANS
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