The Reserve Bank of India is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee as it steps into its 75th year of service to the nation on May 11 this year.
As part of its Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, the bank has initiated a special programme called “Model Village Programme’’ in eight villages in the State. The aim of this programme was to “Outreach its Activities” to under-banked (least number of commercial banks in operation) villages in 8 districts in the State.
As a first step, this programme is to be inaugurated in Tippireddihalli Village in Dharmapuri district on November 2, 2009. In which the Chairman & Managing Director Mr. M.S. Sundara Rajan is participating as Guest of Honour and Ms. P. Amutha, Collector as Chief Guest.
The other villages to be covered under this programme are Punnam in Erode district, where the programme is slated to be held on November 30 this year. The other villages where this programme would be implemented in a phased manner are Servaikaranpatti in Tirunelveli, Nallur in Tuticorin, Andarkulam in Kanyakumari, Myladumparai in Theni, Vadagudi in Nagapattinam and Sorakolathur in Tiruvannamalai district. In these 6 districts, the programme would be implemented before the end of March 2010.
Before implementing this programme, the bank has conducted a household survey in these villages and decided to bring all the households in these villages be covered under the financial inclusion.
Besides inculcating a healthy banking habit to the villagers, beneficiaries would be selected for financial assistance for taking up economic activities. RBI would strive to provide hassle-free credit flow through the concerned commercial bank.
Motto of the programme is to ensure the villagers free from any complaints pertaining to banking.
Mr. K.R. Ananda, Regional Director, RBI (Tamilnadu & Puducherry) told The Hindu on Friday that the programme was conceived as part of its Platinum Jubilee year to reach out to the grass root people who were not brought under the banking system and bring them under the financial inclusion even after 60 years of independence.
``The aim of the Model Village Programme is to ensure and improve the livelihood of the villagers through creating awareness on financial inclusion. The eight villages which are going to be covered under this scheme would be extended with general line of credit and government sponsored schemes. Like to show the people how the financial inclusion reaches to the unreached.’’
``RBI ideas are to reach banking services to all sections of the society. This would be a role model for commercial banks to reach their services to the villagers in a larger level. Those villages which do not have the bank branches would be serviced through Business Correspondents, where the villagers can avail all services available in regular bank branches on a specific day in a week.’’ Mr. Ananda adds.
Dr. D. Subbarao, RBI Governor in his speech on May 11 2009 said, ``The Platinum Jubilee must launch a series of initiatives and activities that make the Reserve Bank a more responsive, relevant, professional and effective public policy institution and remind each of us how we can serve the institution, and thereby the country, better. In short, our goal must be to make a difference.’’
M. M. Vijay Kumar, Lead District Officer, RBI for Dharmapuri, Erode, Krishnagiri, Namakkal and Salem districts said awareness programme were conducted in all schools about banking in Dharmapuri district.