Keep banking channels up and running; maintain smooth cash withdrawals: FM

The Union government has asked all banks to ensure that their banking channels — branches, ATMs, and the business correspondent network — are up and running across India for transactions, especially cash withdrawals. 

Banks are expected to witness a surge in transactions across channels next week, owing to salary payments to employees. Pensioners will also be visiting branches in the first few days of April. The beneficiaries of the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme are also likely to withdraw money from their accounts, senior public sector bankers said. 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held one-to-one interaction with chief executives of banks