The Odisha government’s mobile ATM service which was launched in 2014 to provide doorstep banking services to people in remote and tribal-dominated villages, seems to have fallen flat.
As per the data available with OTV, about Rs 30 lakh has been spent for procuring each van for offering ATM service on the wheels.
However, the vans are gathering dust in most of places within two years of its inception owing to lack of driver and internet connectivity.
Revealing the sorry state of affairs, a mobile ATM van was seen lying unused at a garage dump behind Mayurbhanj central cooperative bank at Baripada. Similar is the fate of a van at Karanjia branch.
Abhay Lenka, chief executive officer of Mayurbhanj central cooperative bank said, “Initially, we engaged a driver to run the mobile ATM vehicle on monthly basis. However, the service remained suspended during Covid and we disengaged the driver to cut our expenses.”
“When the mobile van visits rural areas like Pallahada, the mobile network is lost. Besides, people do not turn up to avail services,” said Askhay Prusty, manager, Angul United Central Cooperative Bank.
Angul United Central Cooperative Bank, secretary Mahendranath Samal said, “We want to run the mobile ATM van. However, there is lack of fund for repair of the vehicle. We are writing to higher authorities frequently. Once fund is released, we will do the needful.”
The mobile ATM service was launched in 2014 in a joint initiative by Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Odisha government. The target was to provide all types of banking services like cash withdrawal, deposit and providing loan to people in 20 blocks of 10 tribal-dominated districts. The Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) had spent a whopping Rs 6.56 crore for the project.
Moreover, Rs 2.13 crore was spent for repair of the mobile ATMs between 2016 and 2020.
Surprisingly, only Rs 18 crore was withdrawn from 20 mobile ATMs between 2015 and 2021 of which Rs 11.63 was alone withdrawn in one month post cyclone Fani.
Ironically, not a single penny was withdrawn from the ATMs in Mayurbhanj, Angul and Sundergarh districts. However, the accountant general report said Rs 1.76 crore was spent to upkeep the service in those districts.
On the other hand, beneficiaries attributed failure of the service to managerial defect.
Sudhansu Das of Sundergarh said, “We are just noticing the mobile ATMs which are not benefiting us in any way. We farmers are unable to avail any facilities from the mobile ATMs.”
Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said, “The AG has furnished several reports which are being analysed by our standing committee. The suggestions of the standing committee are also being reviewed and implemented.”