AnyTime News 
Rural outreach still weak despite rising figures
Credit flow promises face ground-level challenges
Anytime News Network (Pooja Srivastava)
The State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) meeting for the quarter ending December 2025 in Uttar Pradesh concluded with impressive figures and ambitious commitments, but it also exposed persistent gaps in ground-level banking delivery. The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary S.P. Goyal, with co-chairmanship by Lal Singh, Executive Director of Bank of Baroda.
Senior officials from the Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Finance, NABARD, SIDBI, and other financial institutions attended the session. While the total banking business in the state was reported at ₹32.79 lakh crore with a CD Ratio of 60.39%, experts argue that such figures do not fully reflect the reality of financial inclusion.
Discussions emphasized increasing credit flow to MSMEs, agriculture, and self-employment schemes. However, on the ground, small entrepreneurs and farmers continue to face hurdles in accessing timely and adequate credit. Initiatives like the “Credit Plus Approach” remain more conceptual than impactful in execution.
The Chief Secretary’s call for expanding banking services in rural and remote areas itself underlines the existing shortcomings in outreach. Government schemes such as CM YUVA, ODOP, and PM SVANidhi were highlighted, yet concerns persist regarding their effective implementation and last-mile delivery.
The meeting once again revealed a disconnect between reported progress and real-world impact. Despite policy push and institutional involvement, financial inclusion in Uttar Pradesh continues to face structural and operational challenges.
