Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Odisha Assembly on Monday that 4,373 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the state currently lack Brick & Mortar bank branches.
Responding to a query from Daspalla BJD MLA Ramesh Chandra Behera, the Chief Minister, in a written statement, clarified that banking services are being provided in all Gram Panchayats through Brick & Mortar branches, Business Correspondents/Customer Service Points (BC/CSP), or India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) access points.
To further expedite banking facilities, the state government, in collaboration with six public sector banks—State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, UCO Bank, Bank of India, and Bank of Baroda—has introduced CSP Plus Banking Outlets in Gram Panchayats without physical branches. Majhi added that 2,742 unbanked Gram Panchayats have already been covered under this initiative.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that the state government is encouraging banks to open new branches through forums like the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), District Consultative Committee (DCC), and Block Level Bankers Committee (BLBC). Additionally, the government has introduced a criterion for selecting banks to handle state department business and deposits based on the “number of branches,” incentivizing banks to expand their network.
