Highlight PM Vidya Lakshmi Yojana, which offers loans for higher education: Udupi ZP CEO

Udupi Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal addresses the district bankers committee meeting at the Rajatadri, district office complex in Manipal on September 3, 2026. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Udupi Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Prateek Bayal told officials to ensure that banks provide necessary credit facilities to eligible farmers to undertake agriculture and dairy farming activities thereby encouraging them to become financially self-reliant.Chairing the bankers’ committee meeting at Rajatadri, district office complex in Manipal, on September 3, Mr. Bayal said bank personnel should be friendly with farmers, people in general, and women beneficiaries who visit banks to avail various facilities.To prevent financial fraud, the RBI has directed banks to use only the 1600 phone number series for transaction purposes, he said while instructing banks to create awareness among customers about this initiative.When victims of cyber fraud visit banks, they should be treated with courtesy and given advice, and other necessary information. People should be made aware of all the precautionary measures required to prevent them from being cheated. “If there is an opportunity to provide them with compensation as per the rules, it should be given to them,” the CEO said.Mr. Bayal told officials to visit educational institutions to create awareness about Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Yojana, which offers easy education loans to students to pursue higher education.Reserve Bank of India Assistant General Manager Nisha Thakur said if the loss to an individual by cyber fraud is found to be genuine, and a case is registered on the National Cyber ​​Crime Reporting Portal or the National Cyber ​​Crime Helpline within the stipulated period, 85% of the net loss, or ₹25,000, whichever is less, will be compensated. But, this is possible only once for a victim.Lead Bank Canara Bank’s Regional Manager Tadinada Srinaga Purnanand informed the meeting that till June-end, a total of 440 branches in the district had deposits of ₹48,715.93 crore, advances of ₹24,184.84 crore, and a total business turnover of ₹72,900.77 crore. The credit to deposit ratio is 49.64% as against the RBI’s limit of 60%.The district has been allocated a total annual credit plan target of ₹18,532.26 crore for both priority and non-priority sectors for the current year, of which ₹7,302.87 crore has been achieved so far (39.41%).District Lead Bank Manager Harisha and South Canara District Central Co-operative Bank AGM Rajesh Shetty were among those who attended the meeting. Published - September 04, 2026 02:02 pm IST