India, July 9 -- justify;">Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday directed banks to intensify efforts to improve the state's credit-deposit (CD) ratio and ensure easier access to loans for eligible beneficiaries. Chairing the 97th meeting of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister reviewed banking services, credit distribution, financial inclusion initiatives and the implementation of various self-employment schemes.

Dhami said the banking sector plays a crucial role in the state's economic growth and asked banks to simplify access to credit for farmers, youth, women and entrepreneurs. He expressed concern over the low credit-deposit ratio in Bageshwar, Pauri, Almora, Rudrapray...