Lok Sabha Question No. 3031 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Bharat Mahila Bank
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: P. Ravindhranath

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3031

To be answered on the March 20, 2023/Phalguna 29,1944 (Saka)

## Bharat Mahila Bank

## 3031. SHRI P. RAVINDHRANATH:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether after merging the Bharat Mahila Bank (BMB) with State Bank of India there is any proposal with our nationalized banks to reintroduce 'ALL WOMEN BANK' branches, for focusing on the banking needs of Indian women,  their  livelihoods  and  to  promote  their  economic  empowerment  and  thereby  especially  help  the underprivileged rural women, across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of the percentage share of women employees contributing it's total staff strength as on the financial year ending 2021-2022 and as on 28-02-2023, Nationalized Bank-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE (DR. BHAGWAT KARAD)

(a) to (b): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines provide autonomy to banks to decide their business strategy and the banks, as per their Board approved policy, decide permissible methods of outreach and the type of services sought to be provided. Public Sectors Banks (PSBs) have informed that there is no proposal regarding reintroduction of 'all women bank branches' under consideration. However, several steps tak en by the Government for providing greater access of financial services to women include, inter-alia, the following:

- (i) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has enabled opening of bank accounts for millions of previously unbanked women customers (about 26.87 crore accounts in rural and urban centres have been set up under the scheme, as of 08.03.2023) and allowing women users to receive government subsidies as Direct Benefit Transfer and to access remittances, credit and insurance products.
- (ii) As per data received from NABARD, Self Help Group (SHG)-Bank Linked Programme has linked 1.25 crores women's self -help groups (SHGs), having cumulative saving deposit of Rs. 45,663 crore, to the formal banking system, out of which 62.42 lakh women's SHGs are credit -linked having outstanding loan of Rs. 1,45,474 crore, as on 30.6.2022.
- (iii) Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, under which 71 % of loans have been extended to women borrowers, with 23.82 crore  loans  extended  to  women  entrepreneurs  till  31.3.2022.    To  encourage  further  coverage  of  women borrowers, the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) extends a rebate of 0.25% on its refinance interest rate.
- (iv) Stand Up India Scheme to facilitate bank loans of amount ranging between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore to women borrowers for setting up a Greenfield enterprise in the trading, services or manufacturing sectors. Under Stand Up India 1,40,140 loans have been extended to women entrepreneurs as on 28.2.2023.
- (v) The Prime Minister Street Vendor's Atma Nirbh ar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) was launched by the Government to help poor street vendors impacted by COVID-19 pandemic to resume their livelihood activities. As on 16.3.2023, 41% of the loans disbursed under the scheme were to women borrowers.

(c): The bank wise details of percentage share of women employees to total staff strength as on 31.03.2022 and 28.02.2023 is annexed.

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Annex Bank-wise details of percentage share of women employees to total staff

## strength as on 31.03.2022 and 28.02.2023

| Name of the Bank      | Share of female Staff in total Staff Strength (%)   | Share of female Staff in total Staff Strength (%)   |
|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|                       | 31.3.2022                                           | 28.2.2023                                           |
| Bank of Baroda        | 26.2                                                | 26.2                                                |
| Bank of India         | 28.4                                                | 28.7                                                |
| Bank of Maharashtra   | 27.0                                                | 27.1                                                |
| Canara Bank           | 31.5                                                | 31.6                                                |
| Central Bank of India | 24.3                                                | 25.2                                                |
| Indian Bank           | 28.9                                                | 29.4                                                |
| Indian Overseas Bank  | 35.9                                                | 36.0                                                |
| Punjab National Bank  | 23.5                                                | 24.0                                                |
| Punjab & Sindh Bank   | 29.3                                                | 30.0                                                |
| State Bank of India   | 26.6                                                | 26.7                                                |
| UCO Bank              | 27.8                                                | 28.3                                                |
| Union Bank of India   | 28.6                                                | 28.8                                                |

Source: PSBs

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