Jammu/Leh, Mar 25: With a renewed focus on strengthening financial outreach in Ladakh’s remote and underserved regions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Jammu, on Tuesday convened a workshop for Lead District Managers (LDMs), District Development Managers (DDMs) and Lead District Officers (LDOs) of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Jammu.
The deliberations placed particular emphasis on improving banking access, credit penetration and institutional coordination in Ladakh, where geographical constraints continue to pose challenges to financial inclusion.
The workshop was attended by Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, as Chief Guest, and Shailendra Kumar, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Finance Department, as Guest of Honour. Chandrashekhar Azad, Regional Director, RBI Jammu, led the proceedings. Senior officials including Nisha Nambiar, Chief General Manager-in-Charge, RBI Mumbai, and Amitava Chatterjee, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, J&K Bank Ltd., were also present, alongside district-level functionaries from both Union Territories.
In his inaugural address, the Regional Director highlighted that the workshop aimed to equip district-level officers with updated regulatory knowledge, improved communication practices and a clearer understanding of their responsibilities under the Lead Bank Scheme. He outlined recent policy measures intended to widen financial access, including the increase in collateral-free agriculture loans to ₹2 lakh per borrower and the proposed enhancement of collateral-free lending limits for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh, effective April 1, 2026. He also referred to the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2025–2030 as a roadmap for inclusive growth.
He underlined that LDMs, DDMs and LDOs play a pivotal role in bridging gaps between banks and development agencies, particularly in regions such as Ladakh where coordinated efforts are essential to extend formal banking services.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Secretary called for increased term lending to the agriculture sector to support long-term investments and improve productivity. While noting that 75.74 per cent of the Priority Sector Lending target for the financial year 2025–26 has been achieved, he urged officials to adopt targeted approaches to improve credit flow in underperforming sectors such as education and housing, with special attention to regions facing structural constraints.
The workshop featured multiple thematic sessions, including discussions on the expectations and future course of the Lead Bank Scheme, the role of Union Territory Level Bankers’ Committees in its implementation, and the preparation of Potential Linked Plans aligned with Annual Credit Plans. Sessions also examined the role of government-sponsored schemes in advancing financial inclusion and included modules on communication, leadership and stress management.
An experience-sharing segment allowed LDMs and DDMs to present field-level insights and case studies, highlighting practical challenges and solutions from districts across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The discussions are expected to contribute to refining district-level strategies, with a sharper focus on improving credit delivery systems and expanding financial services in Ladakh alongside other regions of the two Union Territories.
