Odisha prepares action plan to open bank branches in all GPs

In order to take banking to the door step, Odisha government has prepared an action plan and asked banks to provide services in all 4,597 unbanked gram panchayats (GPs) of the state.
"The state government has asked banks to use data of the Panchayati Raj (PR) department for opening bank accounts in the rural areas for ensuring financial inclusion across Odisha," said Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, U N Behera after a committee under chairmanship of the Chief Secretary held its meeting here today.
"A detailed enumeration of families done by the PR department will be shared with the banks to help them in identifying the people for opening of accounts so that one or two accounts can be opened for every family," Behera said.

The state government, sources said, has asked the banks to cover all the unbanked GPs within a period of five years ending March 31, 2019.
The state government also said the department may help the banks to launch a drive to open as many accounts in one year on mission mode.
Out of the total 4,597 brick and mortar branches to be opened by banks in the unbanked GPs, public sector banks will open their branches in as many as 3,048 panchayats while private banks will cover 861 unbanked gram panchayats, according to the action plan.

Similarly, sources said, regional banks like Odisha Gramya Bank and Utkal Grameen Bank have been allocated 331 and 357 panchayats, respectively for opening of banks.

In its bid to encourage banks to open branches in rural areas, the state government has assured them (banks) that panchayat buildings and Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras would be provided free of cost for the next five years.
The commercial banks opening their branches in unbanked panchayats will be given access to government funds meant for that panchayat.