79,000 villages to get banking services – K.R.Ananda, Regional Director, RBI

Banking services will be extended to 79,000 villages with population more than 2,000 throughout the country before March 2012, according to K.R. Ananda, Regional Director for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Reserve Bank of India. He was launching the RBI outreach programme, at Vellabommanpatti near Vadadmadurai on Saturday, 5^th February 2011.  Initially, 170 villages have been identified this year, and all these will be made as model villages. Every household in model villages will have savings bank account. The bank has identified four villages in the State including Seelapadiyankulam and Vellabommanpatti in Dindigul for this year. The Reserve Bank of India had covered eight villages in 2009-10 in the State. “Villagers will be sensitised to importance of savings. Financial assistance for income generation activities will also be offered to ensure equitable development at these villages. The bankers will depute business correspondents to provide banking service at the doorstep of villagers that will save time and journey distance,” he added.                      - The Hindu