(a) whether the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed all public sector banks to earmark at least two percent of their net credit for women and raise it to five percent over the next five years;
(b) if so, the details of the directions issued in this regard; and
(c) the present percentage of net credit to women in public sector banks including State Bank group of banks, bank-wise?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI BALASAHEB VIKHE PATIL)
(a) and (b): Yes, Sir. Reserve Bank of India has advised public sector banks to earmark at least 2 per cent of their net bank credit for women and raise it to 5 percent in five years. Public sector banks have also been instructed that they should redefine their policies by taking into account women`s requirements in a focused and integrated manner. They should prepare long term plans with a view to outreach credit to women. For this purpose they may take into account credit extended to women directly for smaller projects, credit under different schemes of banks/Government sponsored schemes and credit to companies where majority of the promoters shares are held by women, partnership firms where majority partners are women and proprietary concerns where proprietors are women. Banks are also to ensure that the benefits under various poverty alleviation and employment promotion schemes go to the women in the prescribed ratio.
(c): RBI has reported that separate data about credit flow to women is not presently available with all banks. Banks have been advised to create a separate data base for women for amounts advanced through micro-credit, credit to small scale industries, credit to medium and large scale industries, Government sponsored scheme and other different schemes of banks and submit quarterly reports to Government/RBI beginning from the quarter ended March 2001.