New Delhi: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the poor, tribals and women face no inconvenience due to demonetisation and the resultant restrictions on banking transactions.
During his discussion with Modi here Monday, Patnaik stated that 95 per cent of the people living in scheduled areas are tribals and do not posses PAN cards. He claimed that banking coverage in these areas is extremely poor and asked Modi to exempt tribals from the mandatory requirement of furnishing PAN cards for cash transactions.
The CM pointed out that around 4.5 lakh women engaged in Self -elp Groups (SHGs) have been unable to do normal banking transactions due to restrictions imposed in the wake of demonetisation. He asked the PM to use SHGs with trusted past records as banking correspondents in remote areas.
Patnaik also demanded that Reserve Bank of India should be ordered to ensure flow of funds to cooperative banks and curbs imposed on them be lifted.
“Only 196 bank branches have been opened in Orissa during 2014-15 and 2015-16 as against the target of 20,145 bank branches and 4401 out of the 6234 gram panchayats in state do not have any bank branch till date,” the CM said as per the release.
He also expressed his cooperation to the banks by providing necessary built up area in unbanked gram panchayats for opening new branches, free of rent for five years.
Post News Network
