Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday asked officials of cooperation department to form a committee for proper monitoring and implementation of the Bank on Wheels service launched by the state government in September to provide mobile banking service to farmers in rural areas, especially in tribal belts.
The committee should include officials from the finance department, Reserve Bank and NABARD, as well as SLBC members, for proper delivery of the service, the Chief Minister said at a review meeting. He also asked the officials to ensure that the mobile vans with banking facilities visit at least six panchayats of districts concerned in a week.
As many as 20 mobile vans with facilities including ATMs and Information kiosks are providing banking facilities to people at their doorstep. The service is being provided in certain areas of Koraput, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh and Nayagarh, officials said at the meeting. The state government plans to provide benefits to at least 4 lakh farmers’ families who have Kisan Credit Cards. The extension of the service will depend on the success of the programme, officials said. The state government is chalking out on a plan to convert the Kisan Credit Cards issued to the farmers of the state into smart cards to help them get loans through ATMs and kiosks of all banks operating in the state.
The Chief Minister asked officials to ensure adequate promotion of the service to make it a success.