Banks plan to open 2,361 branches in next 2 years in Odisha

The domestic scheduled commercial banks plan to open 2,361 brick and mortar branches in Odisha during 2013-15.

As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the number of functioning branches of scheduled commercial banks in the state is 3,472.

"As reported by the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC), banks plan to open 2,361 of brick and mortar branches during 2013-15," informed Union Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, Renubala Pradhan, Meena said, general permission has been granted to domestic scheduled commercial banks (other than regional rural banks) to open branches, in tier-2 to tier-6 centers (with population up to 99,999) which include rural centers and tribal areas, and rural, semi urban and urban centers of the northeastern states and Sikkim.

The permission has also been granted to open mobile branches in tier-3 to tier-6 centres (with population up to 49,999) which include rural centres and rural, semi urban and urban centres of the northeastern states and Sikkim subject to reporting.

Domestic scheduled commercial banks, while preparing their annual branch expansion plan (ABEP), should allocate at least 25 percent of total number of branches proposed to be opened during a year in un-banked rural (Tier 5 and Tier 6) centres, Meena said.

Giving details of the bank branches in the state, he said, the highest number of 408 branches of different banks were functioning in Khurda district while Malkanagiri came at the bottom of the list with only 28 branches. In Ganjam district, 290 branches are functioning, while the figure for Cuttack district is 263, he said.