Keonjhar: Scores of tribals in hill-locked Barhagad village under Bansapal block in Keonjhar district have been facing a lot of problems in availing various financial benefits of government schemes in the absence of banking facilities in their locality.
The nearest bank – Orissa Gramya Bank – is 20 km away at Bayapandadhar from their village. Many Juanga tribals Friday took up their issue with the district collector.
They stated that wages and other financial benefits are transferred to their bank accounts, but they have to trek 20 kms to withdraw money, but many a time they have to return empty handed whenever there is a shortage of funds in the bank. “We unnecessarily spend money for travelling and it is frustrating when we have to return empty handed,” they said.
Though the tribals earn a livelihood by working under the MGNREGA scheme, wages transferred to their accounts are not easily available for them.
They demanded that the administration take step for setting up a bank in their locality so that they can get benefits of financial benefits or availing loans.
Many Juanga women met the collector, who assured them to take steps in this regard.
According to sources, 220 out of total 286 panchayats in the district are out of the banking network.
However, lead district bank manager Jaladhar Sethi said people in all panchayats are provided banking services and other allied facilities with help of Bank Mitras, business facilitators, business correspondents, kiosks, mobile banking services while bank accounts of 3.42 lakh people have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana.
It is also alleged that people in other tribal-dominated blocks like Telkoi and Harichandanpur are deprived of banking facilities when wages, grants, pensions, subsidies of some schemes are available to people through bank accounts.
People alleged bank facilitators and bank mitras collect deposit amounts from people, but amounts are either not deposited in banks for months together or are misappropriated.
Socials activists say banking facilities are a must for people so as to save them from fraudsters.
PNN
