Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday urged the Centre to advise banks to open branches in gram panchayats across Odisha that still lack banking facilities.
Majhi was speaking at the 27th Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi, attended by representatives from the four eastern states — including Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary and Bengal minister Chandrima Bhttacharya. The meeting was chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah.
He noted that the Eastern Zonal Council, which includes Odisha, Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, shares not only geographical boundaries but also “intertwined histories, cultures, economies and challenges.”
Majhi urged the Centre to take necessary steps to address problems related to internet connectivity in order to encourage banks to set up brick and mortar branches in these unbanked areas.
A brick and mortar branch refers to a physical and tangible location where a business conducts its operations and serves customers in person, as opposed to an online-only presence.
Of the 6,794 gram panchayats in Odisha, only 2,421 have brick and mortar bank branches. Majhi’s demand comes amid reports of elderly people in rural areas walking long distances to collect pensions and allowances.
The chief minister said that while Customer Service Point (CSP) Plus banking outlets are offering key services similar to regular branches, they are yet to reach every gram panchayat. So far, 2,742 CSP Plus outlets have been opened in unbanked gram panchayats across all 30 districts. The remaining 1,631 panchayats will be covered shortly, he added.
Majhi assured that the state government would support the initiative by providing electricity and internet connectivity for smooth functioning of CSP Plus outlets. “The government is also bearing the one-time fixed cost, including banking space, and the monthly recurring cost for specific items for the first three years of operation,” Majhi said.
Calling for inclusive growth, regional solidarity and people-centric development to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat, Majhi underlined the importance of cooperation between states and the Centre.
Jharkhand agenda
Hemant Soren raised 31 issues concerning Jharkhand, including ₹1.36 lakh-crore in dues from central coal PSUs, and called for improved infrastructure and job creation through MSMEs, officials said.
Jharkhand also raised the issue of a separate Sarna religious code for tribals.
Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said: “A committee was formed to resolve the pending issues including assets division between Bihar and Jharkhand post bifurcation of Bihar.”
Shah said zonal councils have transformed from being mere discussion forums into “engines of cooperation,” noting that 83 per cent of issues taken up in their meetings have been resolved.
Additional reporting by PTI
