"Stakeholders should join hands for financial services to the poor", Odisha Minister

Odisha minister Prafulla Samal on Friday urged key stakeholders to join hands with the state government to ensure that affordable financial services reach the backward and tribal communities. Samal, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister, was speaking at the second edition of the Odisha Financial Inclusion Conclave here organized by OSAFII (Odisha State Association of Financial Inclusion Institutions).

"All key stakeholders should join hands to provide affordable financial services to the poor, backward and tribal communities," he said, highlighting different schemes implemented by the state government for the upliftment of rural women. Samal, also the Minister of Women and Child Development, hailed the contribution of OSAFII members for providing financial services to women in remote areas.

"Access to credit enables businesses to expand, creating jobs and reducing inequality," said Dibyajyoti Pattnaik, president, OSAFII. Around 400 representatives from self-help groups, banks, government agencies, and financial institutions attended the conclave, officials said..