Patna, Oct 24 The Bihar government has for the first time introduced a 100-point performance assessment index to rank banks operating in the state, a senior official said on Saturday.
IDFC FIRST Bank currently tops the list with 74 points, Development Commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh said.
“Banks have been classified into three zones based on their score. The Green Zone, indicating excellent performance, includes 11 banks scoring 50 or above, while seven banks fall in the Yellow Zone and several others in the Red Zone. The Red Zone includes leading public sector banks,” a statement issued by the state’s Finance Department said.
Bihar has set an annual credit plan target of Rs 4.95 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal. As of September 30, banks disbursed Rs 1.89 lakh crore, achieving 38.25 per cent of the target, officials said.
The figure was Rs 46,228.29 crore higher than that of the corresponding period last year.
“The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector recorded 52.68 per cent achievement, with credit disbursement of Rs 84,091.21 crore against a target of Rs 1.59 lakh crore. Agriculture credit disbursement stood at Rs 43,967.17 crore, or 28 per cent of the target,” the release said.
At a high-level review meeting here, Singh directed banks to work in mission mode to achieve their annual credit plan targets, stressing that deposits mobilised in Bihar must be reinvested in the state’s development.
Senior officials of the Finance Department, the State Level Bankers’ Committee, public and private sector banks, were among those who were part of the meeting.
Singh also issued instructions to banks performing below the state’s average achievement rate of 38.25 per cent in terms of the annual credit plan, particularly major public sector lenders placed in the ‘Red Zone’ of the state index.
Bihar’s credit-deposit ratio (CDR) stood at 60.17 per cent as of September 30, compared with 60.21 per cent at the end of 2025-26, the statement said.
Singh expressed concern over several major banks maintaining a CDR below 50 per cent, and asked them to expedite lending, clear pending applications and reduce loan rejection rates, particularly under the Kisan Credit Card and PM Vishwakarma schemes.
According to figures presented at the meeting, loans amounting to Rs 8,344.70 crore have been provided to farmers through 7,37,906 Kisan Credit Card accounts, the officials said.
(PTI News)
