RBI Revamps Annual Credit Plan Process with NABARD PLPs
No longer current — replaced by RBI/2014-15/94 (Revised Lead Bank Scheme guidelines)
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/419 · issued 11 Apr 2005 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI mandates banks to base Annual Credit Plans on NABARD's Potential Linked Plans (PLPs), with a structured timeline for district-level consultations, branch planning, and aggregation to ensure participative credit planning.
What changed
RBI formalized a step-by-step procedure for preparing Annual Credit Plans using NABARD's PLPs. Key changes include pre-PLP meetings in August/September, special DCC meetings to finalize District Credit Plans by November, and branch-level planning by December. The process ensures active involvement of branch managers, controlling offices, and government departments.
What it means for you
Banks must align their credit plans with NABARD's sector-wise potential estimates, reducing ad-hoc lending. The timeline forces earlier coordination with state agencies and NABARD, improving credit flow to priority sectors. Non-compliance with deadlines could delay district credit plan approvals.
Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.
What banks were required to do at the time
Attend pre-PLP meetings convened by LDM in August/September to provide input on credit potential.
Ensure controlling offices circulate accepted block-wise/activity-wise potential to branches by 10 December.
Prepare Branch Credit Plans by 31 December in consultation with controlling offices.
Participate in special BLBC meetings by 31 January to aggregate block-level plans.
Submit revised branch plans to LDM by 15 February only if significant variations from PLP exist.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs, Lead District Managers (LDMs), NABARD District Development Managers (DDMs), Controlling Offices of Commercial Banks, District Consultative Committees (DCCs), Block Level Bankers Committees (BLBCs)
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 20:57 IST
Superseded by — RBI/2014-15/94 (Revised Lead Bank Scheme guidelines)
RBI’s words: “Please refer to the circular RPCD.CO.LBS. (SAA) BC.No.93/08.01.00/2004-05 dated April 11, 2005”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2004-05/419
Ref.No.RPCD.CO.LBS.(SAA).BC No.93/08.01.00/2004-05.
April 11, 2005
The Chairman/Managing Director
All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(including RRBs)
Dear Sir
Rural Lending – Annual Credit Plans based
on the Potential Linked Plans (PLPs) prepared by NABARD
Please refer to our circular No. RBI/2004-05/293
[RPCD. LBS (SAA). BC. No.62/08.01.00/ 2004-05] dated 08 December 2004 on
the above subject. As already indicated in paragraph 2 (iii) of the letter under
reference, the Annual Credit Plans will be based on the Potential Linked Plans
(PLPs) prepared by NABARD. The modalities for preparing the credit plans were
discussed by NABARD with select Commercial Banks to make the planning exercise
more participative ensuring active involvement of Branch Managers, Controlling
Offices and Government Departments at the district level. Taking into account
the views that emerged during the above consultation, it has been decided to
adopt the following procedure for the preparation of Annual Credit Plans:
a) A pre-PLP meeting may be convened by LDM
during August/September to be attended by the banks, Government agencies, etc.,
to reflect their views and concerns regarding credit potential (sector/activity-wise)
and deliberate on major financial and socio-economic developments in the district
in the last one year and priorities to be set out for inclusion in the PLP DDM/DDO
of NABARD will make a presentation in this meeting outlining the major requirements
of information for preparing the PLP for the following year.
b) PLPs prepared by NABARD and containing block-wise/activity-wise
potential will be placed before a Special meeting of the District Consultative
Committee (DCC) attended by LDM, DDM/DDO, Line Departments of State Government,
Controlling Offices of Commercial Banks, District Coordinators and the representatives
of DCCB and RRB. The potentials indicated in the PLP will be presented by DDO/DDM
of NABARD and thoroughly reviewed prior to finalizing an implementable District
Credit Plan (by 30 November).
c) Controlling Offices of Commercial Banks
and Head Office of RRB and DCCB/LDB will circulate the accepted block-wise/activity-wise
potential to all their branches for preparing their Branch Credit Plans (by
10 December).
d) Branch Credit Plans will be prepared by
the Branches in consultation with their respective Controlling Offices (by 31
December).
e) A special Block Level Bankers Committee
(BLBC) meeting will be convened for each Block where the Branch Credit Plans
will be discussed and aggregated to form the Block Credit Plan (by 31 January).
DDM of NABARD and LDM will attend the meeting and guide the BLBC in finalizing
the plan ensuring that the Block Credit Plan is in tune with the potentials
identified activity-wise and even in respect of Government sponsored programmes,
the credit planned is within the activity-wise overall potential.
f) Only in case of significant variations from
the PLP projections, the Branch Credit Plan will be sent to the Controlling
Offices for second approval. The Branch Credit Plan will be deemed to be finalized
as at Step (d), if revised plans are not received by the LDM from the Branches/Controlling
Offices by the due date (by 15 February).
g)The Block Credit Plan finalized in the special
BLBC meetings will be aggregated by the Lead District Manager to form the District
Credit Plan (by 28 February).
h) The District Credit Plan will be again placed
before the DCC by the Lead Bank Office for final acceptance/approval and then
launched. The branch credit plan received in soft form from branches will be
aggregated block-wise and then for the district as a whole reflecting branch-wise,
block-wise, activity-wise plan. This may be treated as an attachment to the
PLP and form the District Credit Plan document, if the Lead Bank so desires.
The attendance of the Controlling Offices in the BLBC, DCC and Special meetings
convened to discuss PLP may be ensured (by 31 March).
i) Launching of AAP/DCP (by 01 April).
The above exercise will facilitate the active
involvement of all concerned in the credit planning exercise at the block/district
level and also ensure flow of credit to different sectors based on properly
assessed potential.
Please acknowledge receipt.
Yours faithfully
(G. Srinivasan)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/419 · issued 11 Apr 2005. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2214&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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