Kolkata: The state Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) department is coming up with a portal that will be linked with bankers involved in the MSME lending to keep track of the entire process. This will enable senior officials of the department as well as the District Magistrates to be aware of the lending status at the click of a mouse and will ensure transparency in the whole process.
The portal will be launched from August.
Credit-lending to the priority sectors has not been affected despite the Covid pandemic situation. In the last financial year, lending has been to the tune of Rs 87,000 crore from Rs 70,000 crore in 2019-20 fiscal.
"We have set a target of Rs 1 lakh crore in this ongoing financial year," a senior official of the state MSME department said.
Finance minister Amit Mitra held a meeting with the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) in the last week of June, which was followed by another meeting by Rajesh Pandey, Principal Secretary, at the beginning of this month.
"The bankers have been told that they have a big role to play in providing loans to MSME units in easy instalments during this emergent situation so that they continue to prosper.
Lending has been affected during the peak of the second wave. But now, with Covid cases dropping, the banks should lay emphasis on lending," the official said.
He added that as all concerned will be able to know the status of MSME lending through the portal, felicitation, if needed, can be provided in quick time.
Moreover, if there is any specific problem, which may be delaying the lending process, intervention can be made through liaison with everyone for a quick solution.
Bank lending in MSME takes place in various sectors that include agriculture, agri-allied sectors, fisheries, animal resources
development, Self-Help Groups, food-processing industries, horticulture etc.