Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today held discussions with representatives of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and HDFC Bank at the Lok Seva Bhawan here, urging them to improve loan disbursal under various welfare schemes aimed at benefiting the poor.

The performance of these three banks in Odisha was unsatisfactory in schemes such as agricultural loans, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), PM SVANidhi, Stand-Up India, housing loans, education loans, and export credits. In light of their poor performance, the state government had removed these banks from its empanelled list on June 21, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a release.

Majhi emphasised that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the central government is implementing several pro-poor initiatives. He said extending financial assistance through loans is essential to integrating people into economic activities and boosting employment opportunities.

He pointed out that banks are key stakeholders in executing government welfare programmes, and urged the three banks to step up their role in providing loans under schemes that directly benefit economically weaker communities.

Responding positively to the Chief Minister’s appeal, the bank representatives assured that they are committed to improving their performance and will take swift steps to ensure increased loan coverage under the mentioned schemes.