On the advice of the Union Government, the State Government has started making assessment on requirement of banks at the gram panchayat level.

Sources said the Government has asked the district Collectors to make assessments and submit reports in pursuance to a proposal of the Department of Financial Services (DoFS) of the Union Government.

While 4,900 GPs of the State have no banks, the Government has requested the Union Government often for setting up of branches of nationlised commercial banks in unbanked areas.

In a recent decision, the Department of Financial Services of the Ministry of Finance has decided to set up a banking outlet within five kilometer distance of every inhabited village in the country. Banking outlets include bank branches, business correspondent, India Post Payment Bank Centres etc.

The DoFS has joined hands with National Informatics Centre (NIC) and launched the Jan Dhan /Darshak Application on which over 6 lakh banking outlets have been mapped through Geographic Information System (GIS), which is a major technical tool that can monitor the coverage of banking infrastructure in villages.

Banks are regularly mapping and updating the details of newly opened banking outlets on Jan Dhan Darshak App, which is an ongoing exercise.

District Collectors will identify the villages, which are not covered by any of banking outlets within a distance of 5 km.

These proposals would be discussed in District Level Review Committees (DLRC) and the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) and thereafter it would be intimated to DoFS, said an official.

Recently when DoFS Special Secretary Debashish Panda visited the State, he was appraised by Fianance Principal Secretary Ashok Kumar Meena about the requirement of banking services in the State. Meena requested the Union Government for establishment of brick and mortar branches in maximum places.

For making payment to beneficiaries under various social security schemes through DBT (direct benefit transfer), financial inclusion is most important, said an officer.

Previously, many areas were remote and inaccessible. In the last few years, the State Government has spent a good amount of money in improvement of roads, which is one of the criteria bank authorities consider while mulling to set up of bank branches. With good roads available, the Government has requested major banks for opening brick and mortar branches in all areas.