Pathanamthitta and Wayanad are among the districts selected in the State for implementing the Centre’s direct cash transfer scheme.
These districts were selected on the basis of the high enrolment percentage under the Aadhaar scheme, an official spokesman said here.
CANARA BANK
Canara Bank, convener of the State Level bankers’ Committee (SLBC) is spearheading the implementation of the scheme in the State.
Special meetings were conducted in Pathanamthitta on Wednesday and Wayanad on Thursday for reviewing progress made by banks in the implementation.
Direct cash transfer programme will be extended to the remaining 12 districts to cover the entire State covered before March 31, 2013.
Archana Bhargava, executive director, Canara Bank, chaired a special subcommittee meeting of SLBC in this connection here on Tuesday.
PROGRESS REVIEWED
Banks represented by lead district managers and select Government departments involved in electronic benefit transfer of social welfare schemes attended.
Progress of the scheme was reviewed and strategies and action points were evolved for Statewide implementation. Among those present were G. Sreeram, convener of SLBC; S Vasudevan, general manager, State Bank of Travancore; and R. Sudeep, deputy general manager, Reserve Bank of India.
Banks have been asked to ensure that all households in their service area have bank accounts in any scheduled commercial bank.
NEW ACCOUNTS
They need to carry out a household survey and identify those without accounts and also open the same. In case they have accounts and Aadhaar numbers, the latter needs to be captured in the bank’s core banking software and linked to the account.
For households without Aadhaar number, bank accounts need to be opened and they must be directed to get enrolled under Aadhaar, details of which shall conveyed to banks.
Though individual bank branches are directed to conduct the survey and account opening campaigns in their respective service area, the choice of the bank is left to the individuals.