Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in New Delhi to discuss accelerating the state's development journey in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. The primary focus was on addressing credit availability across various sectors in West Bengal and improving implementation of Central government schemes.
A key outcome was the commitment to undertake a renewed saturation drive for flagship financial inclusion schemes including Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, and PM SVANidhi. This drive will be conducted in close coordination with the State Government to cover every eligible beneficiary.
Upon the Chief Minister's request, Sitharaman announced that roundtable meetings will be organized in all regions of West Bengal with Public Sector Banks, leading Industry Bodies, and MSME associations. The objective is to expand credit availability to help the state contribute to India's growth journey through industrial development, expanded entrepreneurial opportunities, and employment generation.
The Finance Minister also committed to reviewing the performance of West Bengal Gramin Bank with specific focus on strengthening financial inclusion and expanding access to formal credit in rural areas of the state. Additionally, Sitharaman assured support for processing eligible proposals from West Bengal under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme (SASCI) to strengthen capital infrastructure across the state, while urging the State Government to expedite implementation of reforms identified under the reform-linked component of the SASCI Scheme.