Bhubaneswar: Banking services in the areas affected by cyclone Fani, including worst-affected Puri district, is expected to be normal by May 13. However, it will take some more time for the ATMs to be fully operational.
This was decided at the special State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) meeting convened to discuss the measures to be undertaken by banks and insurance companies to provide relief to the affected people.
“The Chief Secretary has requested the bank representatives to open all their branches at the earliest. We hope that all branches in the affected areas would open by Monday,” said Finance Secretary Ashok Meena after the meeting. Some of the bank branches will remain open Saturday and Sunday, he added.
The SLBC has resolved that the banks will implement the Master Circular issued by the RBI for banks to follow in the cyclone-affected areas. It has further resolved that the existing loans may be rescheduled and fresh loans may be extended as per emerging requirements of the borrowers.
Besides, the loans may be rescheduled keeping in view lower cash flow to SHGs and MSMEs and bankers will provide all assistance to the tourism industry in Puri, he said.
“The Kerala flood model will be adopted with slight modification. Insurance claims will be settled with basic documents. Similarly, existing loans will be rescheduled, while fresh loans will be given with minimum requirement of documents,” the secretary said.
Banking services in all affected districts, except in Puri, are normal. Mobile ATMs have been sent to Puri by the State Cooperative Bank and SBI.
Currently, seven mobile ATMs are functioning in Puri. SBI will send more 10 ATMs, said SBI Chief General Manager (CGM), Odisha, Praveena Kala.
“We have also decided to provide Rs 2,000 cash to the account holders in affected areas after examining their bank passbook,” she said.
As Internet connection is yet to be restored in Puri, it was decided to provide banking service suing V-SAT and laptops, said Uco Bank CEO Atul Kumar Goel .
Cash availability is not a problem in the state. Cash is available for all relief/rehabilitation works and to meet requirement of the people, said an official.
Meanwhile, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who took stock of the situation, said of the 234 filling stations in Puri, Khurda and Cuttack districts, 232 have become operational and two others will start working from Saturday.
He said the department has made provision for two mobile tankers to distribute petrol and diesel to consumers in Puri town.
“We have been able to bring 100 per cent normalcy in the supply of diesel and petrol within a week time,” Pradhan said, adding that there is enough stock of kerosene, petrol and diesel in the cyclone-hit areas.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed that all government offices to remain open May 11 and 12 (second Saturday and Sunday) to expedite relief and restoration works.
An order issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said all government offices in cyclone-hit districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara will remain open Saturday and Sunday despite being holidays. “The aim is to augment the ongoing relief and restoration work,” it said.
An inter-ministerial team is being sent by the Centre to assess the situation in view of the huge damage caused by the mid-summer cyclone that struck with a wind speed of 200 kmph and battered the state’s coastal region. The team is mandated to submit a field report to the Home Ministry, sources said.
The Central team will be led by the additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Vivek Bharadwaj. It will arrive in Bhubaneswar on the evening of May 12 and hold a meeting with senior officials, said Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi.
The Central team will pay a three-day visit to the cyclone-hit districts from May 13 for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage. Before returning to Delhi, the team will hold a meeting with state government officials May 15, the officials said.
