Bhubaneswar, Aug 31 (KNN) Banks should sanction credit to the priority sectors in order to achieve the target set in the annual credit plan prepared by the Reserve Bank of India, Odisha Finance Minister S B Behera has said.

The Minister also asked the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) to hold credit workshops for sectors including MSME, Agriculture, Textile, Housing etc at periodic intervals.

Addressing the 148th SLBC meeting here, Behera said that during the current financial year, the annual credit plan target is fixed at Rs 60,000 crore for priority sector lending.

"This sector caters to the segments like agriculture, small and micro enterprises which support economic activities, generate income and also surplus and are worthy of receiving retail credit from the bank," he said.

He also mentioned that State Bank of India have made operational banking correspondents in 488 unbanked Gram Panchayats.

Some other banks have indicated their consent to open 65 brick and mortar Branches and employ 182 Banking correspondents before December, 2017, so that 50 per cent of the 1474 unbanked Gram panchayats will be covered, he said.