New Delhi, July 9 -- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday directed banks to intensify efforts to improve the state's credit-deposit (CD) ratio, particularly in districts where lending remains below desired levels. Chairing the 97th meeting of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) at the Secretariat in Dehradun, the Chief Minister reviewed banking services, credit distribution, financial inclusion and the implementation of self-employment schemes.

Dhami said the banking sector plays a crucial role in the state's economic growth and asked banks to make credit more accessible for farmers, entrepreneurs, women and youth. He expressed concern over the low CD ratio in Bageshwar, Pauri, Almora, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh...