The
government has written to the Reserve Bank and the Indian
Banks Association (IBA) seeking their views on how to
increase the flow of credit to minorities.
According
to finance minister P Chidambaram, "The Prime Minister's
new 15 point programme for the welfare of minorities talks
of more award of credit to minorities. We have asked RBI
and IBA on how it can be operationalised."
The
finance ministry says that no extra funds are being asked
for minorities, but the government just wants that they
should get a share of loans under the priority sector
lending by banks.
Earlier,
media reports had said that the Finance Ministry has told
banks to examine the proposal to set aside 15 per cent
of priority sector lending in all categories for minority
communities.
|