Chief Secretary Pushes Banks To Boost J&K Lending

Jammu- Jammu & Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Friday urged banks operating in the Union Territory to sharpen their focus on priority sector lending and youth-oriented credit schemes, as he chaired the 17th meeting of the UT-Level Bankers' Committee (UTLBC) in Jammu. The meeting reviewed the performance of banks and financial institutions during the first quarter and first half of the 2025–26 financial year, a period marked by security tensions and climate-related disruptions.

Despite the operational challenges posed by the Pahalgam terror attack, heightened cross-border tensions, and widespread flooding earlier this year, Dulloo noted that credit flow to the priority sector had remained“satisfactory”. He described agriculture as a major economic lever for the region and urged banks to scale up lending to the sector under schemes such as the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). Access to credit, he said, would be critical in driving the economic upliftment of rural communities across J&K.

Dulloo pressed lenders to provide“hassle-free” financing for several youth-centric and enterprise-focused programmes, including PM Vishwakarma, Mission YUVA and homestay development schemes, all of which form part of the administration's broader strategy to expand self-employment opportunities. Improving the credit–deposit (CD) ratio of J&K and strengthening credit linkage for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) should also remain top priorities, he added.

The meeting brought together senior officials from the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, commercial banks, insurance companies, BSNL, and district-level banking coordinators, alongside key officers from the UT government. Among those in attendance were Amitava Chatterjee, MD & CEO of J&K Bank and Convenor of J&K UTLBC; Shailendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Agriculture Production Department; and Santosh D. Vaidya, Principal Secretary, Finance.

Dulloo called on banks-particularly private-sector institutions-to expand their reach in unbanked and under-banked pockets of the Union Territory. He emphasised the need to accelerate enrolment in national social security schemes such as PMJJBY, PMSBY and the Atal Pension Yojana, and insisted on timely settlement of claims to maintain public trust.

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