To help farmers get loans at their doorsteps, the State Government on Wednesday launched ‘Bank on Wheels’ in 20 remote and tribal blocks of 16 districts in the first phase.
Around 20 vehicles with ATM and other banking facilities would cover the 20 blocks in Keonjhar, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Sambalpur and 15 other identified districts for the purpose.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off the vehicles here at a function. Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout and senior officials were present.
Sources said the Centre has provided Rs6 crore, at a rate of Rs30 lakh for each vehicle, to the State Government under the Rashtriya Krishi Bikas Yojana.
Anyone can withdraw money from the mobile ATMs though the scheme is meant for farmers. The vehicles were handed over to the Central Cooperative Banks (CCBs), which would run and maintain them.
The vans, which are wirelessly connected with other banks, would also have an information kiosk and would be considered as a CCB branch.
The Chief Minister said 55 lakh farmers’ families would be benefitted by the facility and the ‘Bank on Wheels’ would extended to all blocks soon.
Source said each van would have a CCB branch manager, a cashier and an armed guard.