2 private banks ink pact with state

KOLKATA: The process of availing benefits of education loan under the state government's Students' Credit Card (SCC) scheme is expected to pick up pace as two private banks have signed MoU with the state government.

Sources said two more nationalised banks will also sign MoU with the state government. This will help more students get education loans.

This comes when the Bengal government had clearly stated its decision to shift all bank accounts of its departments and undertakings from the banks that had been depriving students from availing the benefits of the scheme.

According to the sources in the state Secretariat, already 1,000 students had received education loan worth Rs 40 crore after the MoUs were signed with the private banks. Another 2,000 students are expected to get the benefit of the education loan before Puja.

On September 17, the state government had decided to shift bank accounts after observing that most of the private banks were not participating in the flagship programmes of the state government, like Students' Credit Card Scheme, financial support to self help groups (SHGs) and Kisan Credit Cards (KCC).