RBI to adopt six villages of Punjab

As part of its platinum jubilee celebrations, the Reserve Bank of India has initiated a special programme called ‘Model Village Programme’ in six villages for providing banking facilities.

The villages include Balahri Kalan, Manupur, Kotla Bhajwara, Jallah, Harbanspur and Khanpur of Fatehgarh district, which do not have any bank branch and the total financial inclusion would be driven in the villages under the RBI’s ‘Outreach Programme’, said Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Shyamala Gopinath, who was here to address exporters from Punjab under the RBI’s ‘Outreach Programme’ told reporters.

She revealed that under its ‘Outreach Programme’ as part of celebrations of its Platinum Jubilee, the RBI would install coin vending machines in every district of the state.

RBI Regional Director J Sadakkadulla, accompanying Gopinath, said that some such machines had already been installed in Chandigarh and installation of some more machines was under process. Admitting that so far about 60 per cent of the total population could not be brought under the banking system, the deputy governor said, efforts were being made by all commercial banks under the guidance of RBI to expand base in villages.