Ensure speedy clearance of student credit card applications: Mamata to state-owned banks

Kolkata:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged all state-owned banks to ensure speedy clearance of student credit card applications, while reiterating that her government will be the guarantor.

Banerjee, while presiding over a programme on the distribution of student credit cards, said that her government has already issued such cards to 5,000 students, and sanctioned 20,000 more.

Under the state government scheme, students can avail education loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for a simple interest over 15 years.

The chief minister said that her government has allocated Rs 5,042 crore for the scheme.

”Cooperative banks are already performing their roles. I urge all state-owned banks to come forward with the same spirit. Please ensure speedy clearance of the proposals. The government stands as the guarantor for each credit recipient. Hence, the sanctioned amount is guaranteed money. There will be no defaulter,” she said.

Banerjee said the TMC government is committed to ensuring better facilities and amenities for school and college students. She said that 77 lakh female students have already come under the ambit of the Kanyashree scheme, and nine lakh class 11 and 12 students have received smartphones and tablets.

She said that her government has constructed 30 new universities, 14 new medical colleges and 3,000 schools including 365 Santhali ones.

”West Bengal now tops the foundation literacy index list,” she said.

Without naming anyone, Banerjee alleged that ”someone” is demanding an audit of financial matters of private universities, whereas only the state government can call for such an audit.

”I have come to know that someone is demanding an audit of your financial matters. I tell you that only the government can ask for such an audit. So don’t get scared and work fearlessly,” she told authorities of private universities.

The TMC had earlier accused Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar of ”meddling in the academic and administrative affairs of private universities” after he summoned authorities of 11 private universities of the state for a meeting to discuss their financial matters. However, the authorities had not attended the meeting.