Banks must provide home access service to public fo cash: MP CM

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that there is a situation of lockdown in the state due to Corona crisis. Many places have also been sealed. In such a situation, banks must provide Home Access Service to the public for cash requirement.

Account holders should be provided facility to withdraw funds of various government schemes in the village itself. Banks must ensure availability of cash in ATMs. Digital payment must be encouraged. For this purpose, banks should ensure branch-wise and village-wise micro planning.

The Chief Minister was addressing a meeting of State Level Advisory Committee of banks in Mantralaya on Thursday. The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary Shri Iqbal Singh Bains, Field General Manager of Central Bank of India, Convener of the State Level Bankers Committee SD Mahurkar and other concerned officials. The Chief Minister directed that all protective measures such as masks, sanitizers, gloves etc. should be taken in the banks.

Adequate distance should be kept between the bank employee and the customer at the time of transaction. All bankers should take full care of their health. A small number of customers should be admitted at a time in adherence to social distancing in bank branches.

The Chief Minister suggested that in larger cities, a few banks have more branches in the same area. Therefore one branch can be kept functional by combining branches. He said that crowd can be reduced by making more counters.

The Chief Minister directed that local police should also be arranged along with the security personnel of the bank to control the number of customers in the branches of the bank and to avoid crowd. The Collector of the district concerned must ensure this. He said that many bankers travel from the cities to the village and vice-versa. This increases the risk of infection. He said that it should be stopped in view of the Corona crisis.

The Chief Minister said that in view of the lockdown, banking services should be ensured through banking correspondents and kiosks.

Banking services should also be provided through mobile vans, ATMs and through post offices and Gramin Dak Sevaks also in rural areas. It was informed that a micro plan is being prepared for every village through10 thousand 343 B.C. to visit the villages.