Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the recent demonetisation of Rs, 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, the Odisha government has urged the Centre to provide mobile banking services in unbanked Gram Panchayats (GPs) with immediate effect.
In a letter to Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley today, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said out of 6238 Gram Panchayats in Odisha 4400 do not have a bank branch.
“In the context of demonetisation of Rs, 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes along with restrictions on withdrawal, my concern is to ensure that the people living in the villages do not suffer on this account. They should continue to access benefits and services such as old age pensions, wages under MGNREGA, scholarships etc being provided to them without any difficulty. Besides, bank branches should provide services relating to withdrawal of money and exchange of old currency in a hassle-free manner,” Patnaik stated.
Apart from relaxations in withdrawals for government disbursements like old age pensions, which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has facilitated, the Chief Minister requested the Union minister to instruct the Apex Bank to urgently provide mobile banking services or to set up temporary counters in unbanked GPs for which the state government will provide requisite support and infrastructure for the benefit of 1.65 crore of people of 70 percent of GPs in Odisha constituting 47 percent of the rural population of the state.
Talking to the media here this afternoon after a meeting with senior officials of the RBI and State Bank of India (SBI), Principal Secretary, Finance, Tuhinkant Pande said the state government has decided to provide old age, widow and differently abled pensions in the state tomorrow.
“I had a meeting with the senior SBI and RBI officials, currency chairs and social sercurity officials to begin logistic operations so that the people in each GP would avail the old age and other pensions,” he added.
The principal secretary further said that for disbursement of pension among 35 lakh beneficiaries, the state government has earmarked Rs 140 crore.
He said the district collectors have been asked to make all necessary arrangements to provide pension to aforesaid persons.
BJD spokesperson Sashi Bhusan Behera said the Centre should take immediate steps in providing mobile banking services to ensure that common people especially those living in remote and inaccessible areas of the state will not face any difficulties.