Tripura govt to lodge complain with RBI against banks

Agartala, June 07 (UNI) Tripura government asked the nationalised banks operating in the state to reopen their branches at the specific locations, closed a few years ago following militant's threat.

Talking to media here today state finance minister Badal Choudhury said that a meeting was held under his chairmanship with the bank representatives and senior officials of Tripura administrative yesterday regarding the activities of the banks in the state.

"If the banks will not shift their branches to the locations specified for them within a month, we have to inform the matter to Reserve Bank of India," Mr Choudhury said.

According to a record available, about 12 branches of five nationalised banks were shifted to town areas from rural pockets resulting in overa lakh people being denied of a banking facility.

The bank authorities were forced to relocate the branches during the militancy days following extortion notices, attacks on banks and kidnapping of the officials.

However, the minister opined, "With the development of law and order situation in the state, we asked the banks repeatedly to re-open the branches in the previous places, but it was ignored virtually and as a result, the rural people are not getting the benefit of banking services." He had also expressed displeasure over the role of the banks in sanctioning loans under Kishan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers.

"Altogether 17300 KCC were issued in last fiscal, while only Rs 6.78 crore loan was given to them, which was in no way satisfactory," Mr Choudhury informed.

He added that owing to poor facilities of access to the banks more than two lakh BPL families were yet to get the banking services in the state and urged the authorities to simplify the procedures of opening accounts.

UNI