Channelising bank credit to various sectors of the economy sectors of the economy in accordance with the socioeconomic policies of the nation was one of the main objective of social control over banks and subsequent nationalization of major banks. The concept Of 'social-banking' envisaged increased lending to sectors like agriculture , small-scale Industries and services with emphasis on borrowers of small means. Borrowers in these sector had traditionally not been assisted through institutional credit and , in order to achieve the objective of nationalization, these groups were classified as priority treatment in the matter of provision of bank credit. Successive Five Year Plans have brought into focus programmes aimed at alleviation of poverty and economic up-liftment of poorer section of the society . the priority sector concept which originally embraced broad sectors like agriculture and small- scale industry has come to be reshaped with greater orientation toward assisting beneficiaries from the poorer section of the society . with a view to ensuring that a substantial share of such credit goes to these section , the concept of "weaker section" in the main component of priority sectors with separate sub - target for lending to such identified group was introduced.