Stating that the people, who are suffering due to demonetisation have rights to avail banking facilities, Odisha government today decided to expedite process of recruiting bank correspondents from Bank Mitras and Self Help Groups (SHGs) members.
The decision in this regard was taken at a high level meeting chaired by chief secretary A P Padhi who asked the Nabard to provide more VSATs, a type of satellite ground station, to banks in places where Internet facilities are not available.
The Nabard has provided 599 VSATs to banks in rural areas.
"The state government has taken certain steps to make banking service available to rural masses," Padhi said.
Finance Secretary T K Pandey said banking correspondents will be appointed in about 1000 unbanked Gram Panchayats under 107 blocks.
"The process for recruitment of these correspondents through Odisha Livelihood Mission will begin in two days," he said.
Pandey said the banks will recruit the Bank Mitras under Odisha Livelihood Mission and the Self Help Group (SHG) members as banking correspondents.
"It was decided in the meeting that initially 1000 banking correspondents will be recruited for 1000 GPs while in the next six months, 6000 would be recruited in 6000 GPs so that people of these panchayats can have free financial transaction," he pointed out.
On shortage of new Rs 500 currency notes, the Finance secretary said the state government is contemplating to undertake digital payment mode to overcome the problem.
He said awareness campaign has been launched on digital payment among the people. A training programme would be held at the district level under the guidance of the district collector, Pandey said.
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Panchayati Raj secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh said that the model for engaging OLM (Odisha Livelihood Mission) as Corporate Banking Correspondent as been prepared taking inputs form the banker friends.
Meanwhile, State Bank of India, U. Co Bank and Gramya Bank have approved the proposal for engaging OLM as Corporate Correspondent. Other banks are likely to accord approval to this shortly, Singh said adding that the model would be rolled out in all GPs of the state within six months.
The Director, Institutional Finance, Tapan Kumar Pradhan said that as of now Nabard has sanctioned 599 VSATs for Internet connectivity in rural areas.
With regard to DBT, Pradhan said that in the meanwhile joint camps for Aadhaar seeding of bank accounts have been held in 6210 GPs and around 40 per cent of the total 1.17 crore Jandhan accounts have been Aadhaar seeded with the consent of the respective account holders.
Presently more than 5138 BCs are operating in the State. A plan has been made to provide 100 per cent Rupay card and Aadhaar enabled machines. Around 12.57 lakh accounts have been opened under Mudra Bank scheme and Rs 3000 crore has been advanced as loan in these accounts, Pradhan said.
