Mobile app soon to check ATM heists in UP

Move to curb incidents of ATM robberies is result of a concerted effort of UP Police and commercial banks

Alarmed over recent spate of armed robberies and heists at Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in Uttar Pradesh, the ATM guards in the state would soon be provided with a mobile app to alert the local police during such brazen acts.

The development of the mobile app to curb incidents of ATM robberies is the result of a concerted effort of UP Police and commercial banks operating in the state, State Bank of India (SBI) chief general manager (Lucknow Circle) Karnam Sekar said here this evening.

He said UP Police had recently given a presentation before the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and senior officials of the banks.

The mobile app could soon see the light of the day. It would be designed to alert/alarm the nearby police outpost/picket automatically on the press of a button as it would work on the Geographical Positioning System (GPS).

Meanwhile, Sekar said SBI had clocked 15 percent and 10 percent growth in credit and deposits in UP during the current fiscal.

Lucknow Circle covers 58 of the 75 districts in UP. SBI has 1,563 branches and 2,000 ATMs in the Circle and it services about 25 million accounts.

Under its 'go green' initiative, SBI Lucknow Circle had energised 308 ATMs with solar power to provide uninterrupted service to customers during power break downs. The Bank plans to cover a total of 400 ATMs in near future.

"Almost 40-45 percent of our transactions are done through the alternative channels of internet banking, mobile banking, ATMs, e-corners etc," Sekar informed adding only 10-15 percent of transactions were through the alternative channel one-and-half years back.

E-corners are designated spots near a regular branch and equipped with machines to provide e-services to customers wanting to deposit cash/cheque, check balance, print passbook, vend coins etc. So far, 38 such e-corners have been set up in the Circle and more would be set up.

Almost 45 percent of advances are to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the Lucknow Circle, he said.