The Hindu Business Line : SBI opens maiden gram panchayat banking outpost in Orissa’s Sikri

Berhampur, Nov. 10 The State Bank of India (SBI) opened up the country’s first Gram Panchayat Banking Outpost at Sikiri panchayat of Ganjam district in Orissa.

This panchayat-level banking outpost was inaugurated by the Orissa Chief Minster, Mr Naveen Patnaik, in the presence of the Chief General Manager (CGM) of the Orissa circle of the SBI, Mr Shiva Kumar. The State Panchayatiraj Minister, Mr Prafulla Samal, was also present. This project is a joint initiative of the panchayatiraj department of Orissa and the SBI for financial inclusion of rural masses.

The SBI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the panchayatiraj department of the Orissa Government on September 22 to set up 6,234 banking outposts in the State to cover all the panchayats of Orissa. Mr Patnaik hoped that this project would make Orissa the first State in the country to provide banking facility in all its panchayats.

Ease of payments

Speaking to presspersons, Mr Kumar said initially these banking outposts would make payment of NREGA wages to the beneficiaries near their home. A group of NREGA beneficiaries of Sikiri panchayat received their payments through biometric Web-based technology used by the banking outpost in the presence of the Chief Minister.

The SBI and the Orissa government are planning to extend the services of these banking outposts for payment of other social security benefits. The SBI is also planning to use this low-cost hi-tech system to provide other regular banking services at the panchayat level, Mr Kumar said.

Enrolling beneficiaries

But for now the NREGA beneficiaries would be enrolled in this banking outpost project at panchayat level by the district administration. The account holder beneficiaries would be provided biometric cards called ‘tiny cards’. The photograph and fingerprints of six fingers of beneficiaries would be collected and saved by the ‘Customer Service Points (CSP)’ at banking outposts. The CSP would use a hand-held multipurpose device, which would have the facility of fingerprint scanner and receipt printer. This device would have data connectivity with the nearest SBI branches through mobile-based net connectivity.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
SBI opens maiden gram panchayat banking outpost in Orissa’s Sikri

Rupee ends flat against $

Fretting about growth decimal points

Western Union forecasts fall in remittances in ’09

Rupee to vacillate sideways

Impose ceiling on banks’ exposure to interest rate futures

Managing capital inflows will be a big challenge: RBI

Allahabad Bank plans centralised retail boutiques

Rates to remain stable till fiscal-end, says Chanda Kochhar

Bonds unchanged in lacklustre market

Call rates close marginally lower