The Assam Government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Bank of India (UBI) for providing subsidised housing loans to State Government employees. As per the MoU, State Government employees drawing salary through UBI account will get subsidised housing loan of up to Rs 15 lakh.
Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that the UBI would provide loan under the subsidised housing loan scheme at 5.5 per cent interest to male employees and at 5 per cent interest to female employees. Sarma also said that the decision to sign MoU with UBI was taken keeping in view that 51,000 State Government employees have their salary account with UBI.
“A total of 51,000 State Government employees belonging to nine districts where the UBI has been providing services would be benefitted largely under the scheme,” Sarma said. The Finance Minister also informed that the State Government had signed the first MoU with the State Bank of India (SBI) on March 22, 2017.
“SBI has released around Rs 2,200 crore loans under this scheme. Later, taking the demands of the people of Karbi Anglong into view, the State Government signed a MoU with Langpi Dehangi Rural Bank, Diphu, for the benefit of the people of the region,” Sarma said.
Talking about the scheme, Sarma said that States like Andhra Pradesh has been trying to follow the scheme to benefit their State Government employees. “I was told by the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of SBI last time when I met him in Mumbai that other State Governments were trying to take a leaf out of the Assam Government’s book and was approaching SBI for similar kind of partnership. It is a good sign that other States have started toeing our line,” Sarma remarked. UBI officials including the General Manager and Assam Government officials, who were present during the MoU signing ceremony, welcomed the State Government’s initiative.