Bengal Govt to computerise cooperative banks

KOLKATA, Dec 26:   West Bengal Government has decided to computerise the cooperative  banks under its jurisdiction.
This would enable the huge rural population of the state get access to the latest modern  services.
During the current financial year, of the 29,000 cooperative banks, 3,000 would be  computerised. For the rest, it would be completed within the next two to three years, the  official sources here today said.
Cooperative banks provide a yeoman service to people from lower economic strata as well  as farmers.
According to the State Cooperation Minister at recent departmental function, the department  has set an aim of lending Rs 75 crore by the cooperative banks in the rural areas and Rs 100  crore by the banks in the urban areas.
Of the about Rs 550 crore loans taken by farmers in the year, the cooperative banks have  lent about Rs 350 crore. Besides, during the last financial year, these banks loaned Rs 592  crore to the self-help groups; this target has been upped to Rs 1,400 crore for the current  financial year.
(UNI)