BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

SECTION I ― BANKING AND FINANCE.

Till the dawn of the twentieth century there was no institution in the. field of finance of this district save the money-lender. Although as a purveyor of credit he played the most useful role and catered to the pecuniary needs of the people, mostly peasants, his practices of recovering loans from his clients proved pernicious to their interests. This, however, continued to he the condition till the business of money-lenders was put on a legal basis and his numerous malpractices rigorously checked. His influence in the financial sphere, however, came to be undermined only with the extension of the co-operative movement after Independence. Rise of modern joint-stock banks too destroyed the monopoly of money-lenders and made credit facilities feasible at cheaper rates. Recently, the banks have even undertaken to liberalise their lending operations for the benefit of agriculture and small-scale industry. The distribution of tagai loans which fell far short of the agricultural needs in former times has recently grown to such an extent as to improve conditions of cultivators and step up production. This definitely has made a way for better prosperity and greater stability of human life. The establishment of the life Insurance Corporation has been instrumental in insuring against all kinds of risks and possible hazards of life and settling conditions for peace or tranquillity. In creating conditions of this sort and bringing about an economic change one cannot fail to notice the lead taken by the State and its participation in various spheres of economic activity. The Small Savings drive initiated by the Government to mobilise the savings of persons of small means is an illustration in point.

TOP