National Mission for Financial Inclusion namely Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES 

LOK SABHA

New Bank Branches

3202. SHRIMATI KESHARI DEVI PATEL

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Sansad Adarsh Grams where new branches of the public sector banks have been opened under their branch expansion policy during each of the last five years, State-wise;

(b) the number of branches of public sector banks opened in rural areas during the said period;

(c) whether the Government has received representations from the public representatives for opening new branches/setting up ATMs of commercial banks under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether 100 per cent branches have been opened under the said scheme; and

(e) if so, the number of branches demanded as well as actual opened in the Prayagraj district during the said period?

(SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) to (e) In the year 2014, the National Mission for Financial Inclusion namely Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched. One of the pillars under the Yojana is to provide universal access to banking facilities.

As per extant guidelines dated 18.5.2017 on rationalisation of Branch Authorisation   Policy,   Reserve    Bank    of    India    (RBI)    has    granted general permission to domestic Scheduled Commercial  Banks  (excluding Regional Rural Banks) to open banking outlets at any place in the  country, without seeking prior approval of RBI in each case subject to at least 25 percent    of    the    total     number     of     banking    outlets     opened     during a financial year being in unbanked rural centres i.e. centres having population less than 10,000 (Tier 5 and Tier 6 centres). A ‘Banking Outlet’ for a Domestic Scheduled Commercial Bank, a Small Finance Bank and a Payment Bank is a fixed-point service delivery unit, manned by either bank’s  staff or its Business Correspondent (BC). Further vide the same circular of RBI, banks are allowed to set up onsite/offsite Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at  centres/places identified by them, including Special Economic Zones.

To ensure availability of banking outlet (Bank branch/Business Correspondent) , within 5 kilometers of all inhabited villages the Government has launched a Geographic Information System (GIS) based app., namely, Jan Ohan Oarshak app (JOO app) developed by National lnfortics Centre (NIC). Banks upload the GIS location of their branches, Business Correspondents (BCs) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) on the app. As per data uploaded by the banks on JOO app, out of the 5.53 lakh mapped villages on the app, 5.52 lakh (99.94%) villages are having branch or BC within 5 kilometers distance.

In view of importance of providing banking services under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, Department of Financial Se Nices, Ministry of Finance vide its communication dated 12.12.2014, has advised Public Sector Banks and Private Sector Banks to ensure that banking services are provided in each Sansad Adarsh Gram through a bank branch or fixed point online inter-operable BC or Kiosk.

The number of branches of public sector banks opened in rural areas during the last five years, as per RBI data, is as under: