Chief Secretary chairs 14th Union Territory Level Bankers Committee (UTLBC) meeting to review banking in Ladakh.

Chief Secretary chairs 14th Union Territory Level Bankers Committee (UTLBC) meeting to review banking in Ladakh.
Leh, December 17,2025: Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, presided over the 14th Union Territory Level Bankers Committee (UTLBC) meeting to reviewed the performance of banks operating in UT Ladakh for the quarter ending September 2025.
During the period under review, banks achieved 72.88 percent of the annual credit target under Priority Sector Advances by disbursing Rs. 803.12 crore. Overall, banks achieved 89.12 percent of the target by disbursing Rs. 2015.74 crore under priority and non-priority sector advances. Total deposits recorded a year-on-year growth of 87.81 percent, reaching Rs. 10,656.64 crore as of September 2025, while total credit grew by 91.13 percent year-on-year to Rs. 5,025.63 crore. The overall Credit–Deposit Ratio of UT Ladakh stood at 47.16 percent for the quarter ended September 2025.
The meeting commenced with a welcome address by Shri Ravi Shankar Kumar, Assistant General Manager, State Bank of India, Local Head Office, Chandigarh, who welcomed the Chairman, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Chief Secretary, UT Ladakh, along with other dignitaries. A comprehensive presentation on the performance and achievements of banks was delivered by Smt. Tsering Wangmo, Assistant General Manager, Convenor Bank, UT Ladakh.
The Chairman directed banks with subdued Credit–Deposit ratios of less than 40 percent, namely Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank and J&K State Cooperative Bank, to enhance their credit portfolios.
Emphasizing the importance of strengthening sectors that directly contribute to sustainable development and local economic growth, Dr. Kotwal highlighted agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries as key focus areas. He stressed the role of fisheries in ensuring fish marketing and income generation and directed the Fisheries Department to extend loans under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to enhance fish production in an ecologically healthy and economically viable manner. The Chairman also underscored the need to promote the housing sector in UT Ladakh and emphasized the growing significance of solar energy as a clean and renewable resource, urging stakeholders to invest in solar infrastructure to reduce dependence on conventional power sources and support environmental sustainability.
Dr. Kotwal further directed that the PM Vishwakarma scheme should be widely publicized and sensitization efforts intensified. He instructed departments to focus on families of traditional artisans and craftspeople in areas known for stone-based sculpture such as utensils, stone-carved religious mantras (Manis) and bronze utensils. The Regional Director, RBI, informed the meeting that the Department of Financial Services has launched a nationwide campaign on unclaimed financial assets and directed all banks, particularly SBI and J&K Bank where a high number of unclaimed deposits exist, to actively participate in the identification and disposal of such deposits in accordance with regulatory guidelines. The initiative aims to return unclaimed funds to rightful owners or legal heirs and enhance transparency in the financial system.
With regard to the Centre for Financial Literacy project implemented by the CRISIL Foundation and funded under the DEA Fund of RBI and FIF NABARD, with support from the State Bank of India, the Hon’ble Chief Secretary directed concerned departments to leverage the benefits of the project and formulate an actionable framework for expanding financial literacy and financial inclusion.
The meeting was attended by Shri Rudra Goud P.T. (IAS), Administrative Secretary; Shri Chandra Shekhar Azad, Regional Director, RBI, Jammu, through video conference; Shri Vikas Mittal, General Manager, NABARD, through video conference; Smt. Vibha Gupta, Deputy General Manager, RBI Jammu; Shri Meetesh Sharma, Assistant General Manager, RBI Jammu, through video conference; Shri Jayant Mani, Deputy General Manager, SBI JAO Jammu, through video conference; Shri Ravinder Kumar, Regional Manager, SBI Jammu; Shri C.M. Bhat, Assistant General Manager, SBI AO Jammu, through video conference; Shri Dheeraj Bhaskar, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, New Delhi, through video conference; Shri Tsewang Dorjay, Zonal Head, J&K Bank; Shri Tsewang Dorjay, Assistant General Manager, NABARD; Directors of concerned departments; and senior representatives of member banks and financial institutions.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Smt. Stanzin Dolkar, Chief Manager, State Bank of India.