Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 : The ‘’ CSP Plus’’ banking outlet will be opened in 4373 unbanked Gram Panchayats in Odisha in coordination with six Public Sector Banks.
The Odisha Cabinet held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday approved the scheme to openCSP plus banking outlets in the state.
Briefing newspersons after the Cabinet meeting Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said the scheme would be opened in coordination with State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, UCO bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India with budgetary support of Rs 500 crore.
For Odisha financial inclusion is critical as out of 6798 GPS, around 65 percent of GPs,approximately 4373 GPs do not have brick and mortar branches.
The Minister said the scheme will be implemented in a phased manner to cover all 4373 unbanked GPs in the state for providing banking services through CSP plus banking outlets within the current financial year of 2023-24.
The Odisha government will provide rent free banking space for five years. The state government will also bear one time expenses for fixed cost and recurring expenses for three years.
The Finance Minister said the scheme will enhance the coverage of financial inclusion in the state in a big way .The people residing in unbanked gram panchayats will have easy access to all kinds of banking services free of cost.
Senior citizens, differently abled people and pregnant women will get doorstep banking services and avail the Direct Benefit Transfer of the government in a timely manner, he said.
