Government
has taken number of steps to expand the reach of organized financial services
to the door steps of the common man. Particular
attention has been paid to the rural areas where a large segment of the society
was not having access to organized banking.
Some of the steps taken for financial inclusion are as below:-
Micro-Finance: Self Help Group-Bank
Linkage Programme
The Self-Help Group
(SHG)-Bank Linkage Programme has emerged as the major
micro-finance programme in the country. It is being implemented by commercial banks,
regional rural banks(RRBs), and cooperative
banks. Under the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme, as on 31 March 2012, 79.60 lakh SHG-held savings bank accounts with total savings of
Rs. 6,551 crore were in operation. By November 2012 another 2.14 lakh SHGs had come under the ambit of the programme, taking the cumulative number of savings-linked
groups to 81.74 Lakh.
Extension
of Swabhimaan Scheme
Under the Swabhimaan financial inclusion campaign, over 74,000 habitations
with population in excess of 2,000 had been provided banking facilities by
March 2012, using various models and technologies including branchless banking
through business correspondents (BCs). Swabhimaan has
been extended to habitations with population more than 1,000 in the
North-Eastern and hilly states and population more than1,600
in the plains areas as per census 2001. 10,450 have been provided banking
facilities by end of December, 2012.
This will extend the reach of banks to all habitations above a threshold
population.
Setting up of Ultra Small Branches
Considering
the need for close supervision and monitoring of the business correspondent
agents(BCAs) by respective banks and in order to ensure that a range of banking
services are available to the residents of such villages, ultra small branches
(USBs) are being set up in all villages covered through BCAs under financial
inclusion. These USBs will comprise a
small area of 100-200 sq. feet where the officer designated by the bank will be
available with a laptop on pre-determined days.
A total of over 40,000 USBs
have so far been set up in the country.
Roll out of Direct Benefit Transfer
The
Government of India has decided to introduce a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
scheme with effect from 1 January, 2013.
To begin with, benefits under 26 schemes will directly be transferred
into the bank accounts of beneficiaries in 43 identified districts across
respective states and union territories (UT).
Agriculture Credit
As
against the target of Rs. 4,75,000 crore
fixed for 2011-12, Rs. 5,11,029.09 crore was
disbursed to the agricultural sector, thereby exceeding the target by 8 per
cent.
Kisan Credit Card Scheme
The
Kisan Credit Card(KCC) has
been an important initiative for universal access of farmers to institutional
credit. The number of operative KCCs
issued by the cooperative banks and RRBs as on 31 August, 2012 was 406 Lakhs against which outstanding loan amount was Rs.1,12,334 crores.
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