2 weeks Ago By DC Correspondent
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said bankers need not worry about HYDRAA as the agency is not involved in giving or rejecting permissions for construction of buildings. Speaking at the bankers’ conference at Praja Bhavan here on Wednesday, Bhatti said that GHMC town planning and other government departments will examine all parameters before giving approvals for the construction and any government will continue to honour them. He said HYDRAA will deal with traffic regulation, prevent encroachment of parks and lakes by encroachers.
He welcomed the convening of a special meeting by bankers with an objective to extend support to certain government departments through the banking sector. The tradition should be continued in future too, he said. He appreciated the bankers, special chief secretary, finance, K Ramakrishna Rao for taking the initiative in organising this meeting.
Bhatti asserted that the Congress government is the people's government and it is committed to the people. He said that some are of the notion that free bus travel for women was to merely enable women to travel freely but it is not so. The Mahalakshmi scheme helps women to live with respect and dignity.
Women should venture out of their homes, see the outside world and learn about the opportunities available for becoming financially independent. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the entire cabinet has decided to extend Rs 20,000 crore interest-free loans to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) this year and if possible the government would extend more loans, Bhatti said.
Observing that corporate commercial banks were charging annual interest between 9 to 13 per cent, Bhatti urged bankers to work with social responsibility and simplify rules for extending loans. Encouraging the banks to extend loans to SHGs, Bhatti pointed out that the loan recovery rate of private banks was quite less but the loan recovery rate for loans extended to SHGs was more than 98 per cent. Bhatti said that the state government is also taking up many programmes to increase the income of SHGs.
Bhatti disclosed that micro, small and medium scale industrial parks are being set up in every Assembly constituency and women will be given special allotments in these centres. “If bankers extended their help with a broad mind and big heart, livelihood and economic development opportunities would become possible in rural areas,” he said..
