Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said the government has directed banks to expand their facilities in the remote areas to ensure that people have easy access to the financial system in the wake of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
"We (government) have already asked all the bank branches to ensure that they should go further deep in terms of reaching out to the people in the remote areas of the country," Rijiju told journalists here in Meghalaya.
However, he said the Reserve Bank of India has already made certain decisions to ensure that bank branches are open in various administrative centres or locations in the remote areas of the country.
"In the same manner in the northeast, we need to expand the reach of the banks so that people are linked with the financial system easily," the minister added.
Reacting to Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'surgical strike' on black money by way of demonetisation as an "insensitive move", Rijiju said: "It is an initial inconvenience but you have to accept this therapy and you need this strong therapy to deal with the menace of black money, corruption and terror funding."
"Good citizens are bearing with us and it is only some of the people because of whom the black money have been generated in this country and the corruption promoted. Only that person and group of people are having problem," the union minister stated.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for demonetising Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination notes, Rijiju said: "This particular decision and announcement of Prime Minister has given deadly powerful blow to those people supplying the fake Indian currency notes as well as those involved in terror funding."
"It is a historical step and it will break the bones of the terrorist organisations and the people who are funding behind the cartel."
Rijiju added, "India has been facing grave challenges of corruption and black money which is circulating heavily in India illegally. With this decision, it not only will check corruption and black money but it will also stop terror funding and circulation of fake currency notes because the home ministry has been facing this problem, for long time."
To a query, Rijiju said that there are still certain elements in Bangladesh who are involved in anti-India activities but the Sheikh Hasina regime is doing everything at its command to stop that.
"There are elements in various countries, but Bangladesh regime is very favourable to India, and the present regime is doing everything possible to ensure that no anti-India activity is taking place in Bangladesh," he said.
"We are very grateful to the present leadership of the government of Bangladesh for all the cooperation so we don't have much problem there but there are certain elements in Bangladesh who are involved in anti-India activities but the present regime is doing everything at its command to stop that," he said.
--IANS
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