Lok Sabha Question No. 1629 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Nationalised Banks in Rural Areas
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Ramesh Chander Kaushik, Sunil Kumar Pintu, Locket Chatterjee, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Riti Pathak

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1629

Answered on Monday, July 31, 2023/ Sravana 9, 1945 (Saka)

## NATIONALISED BANKS IN RURAL AREAS

1629.  SHRI  RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK: SHRI SUNIL  KUMAR PINTU: MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE: SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA: SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Governments of Bihar, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have sent a proposal to open at least one branch of any nationalized bank in each of the panchayats the States;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the current status of the said proposals; and
- (c) whether Bihar, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh Governments have taken up the said matter in the last meeting with NITI Aayog and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (DR BHAGWAT KARAD)

- (a)  to (c) In terms of the revised guidelines issued by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) dated May 18, 2017 on 'Rationalization of Branch Authorization Policy' the term 'Branch' has been substituted by 'Banking  Outlet  (BO)'  which  includes  both  physical  brick  and  mortar  branches  and  Business Correspondent (BC) outlets, to enable banks in expanding their network even in remote rural areas in a cost-effective manner for hassle free services to customers.

Currently, the endeavour of the Government is to ensure availability of banking outlet (Bank branch/ Business Correspondent/ India Post Payments Bank) within 5 kilometres of all inhabited villages in country. Availability of banking outlets is monitored by  a Geographic Information System (GIS) based App., namely, Jan Dhan Darshak (JDD) App.

Based  on  the  data  uploaded  by  Banks  on  Jan  Dhan  Darshak  (JDD)  App,  the  details  of  banking infrastructure in the State of Bihar, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, as on 30.06.2023, is as follows:

| Banking Infrastructure as per JDD App as on 30.06.2023   | Banking Infrastructure as per JDD App as on 30.06.2023   | Banking Infrastructure as per JDD App as on 30.06.2023   | Banking Infrastructure as per JDD App as on 30.06.2023   | Banking Infrastructure as per JDD App as on 30.06.2023   |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| State                                                    | Branches                                                 | BCs                                                      | IPPBs                                                    | %of villages covered with banking outlets                |
| Bihar                                                    | 7,906                                                    | 106,086                                                  | 8,531                                                    | 100.00%                                                  |
| West Bengal                                              | 9,811                                                    | 28,133                                                   | 7,124                                                    | 100.00%                                                  |
| Jammu &Kashmir                                           | 2,187                                                    | 2,458                                                    | 1,724                                                    | 99.97%                                                   |
| Haryana                                                  | 5,846                                                    | 14,724                                                   | 2,681                                                    | 100.00%                                                  |
| Madhya Pradesh                                           | 8,108                                                    | 77,772                                                   | 8,310                                                    | 99.98%                                                   |