Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (CLP)
Mangalore, Sep 21: South Canara District Central Co-Operative (SCDCC) Bank on Saturday September 20 launched ‘Bank on Wheels’ at its premises in the city.
Launched as part of financial inclusion initiative of the government, Bank on Wheels is a banking kiosk in a mobile van which goes to various places as per a predetermined schedule to provide banking services to people. It has a cash deposit and cheque deposit kiosk inside the van.
The chief guest for the inaugural function, G R Chintala, general manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) said, "NABARD has given a grant of Rs 1.75 crore to the SCDCC Bank. The money given by the NABARD is not a big amount but the enthusiasm of the bank officials of SCDCC Bank who have made it possible to have a branch of bank itself on wheels is heart-warming. It has an ATM and two officers to help in documentation work. It is expected to do more business than any other similar mobile bank vans. SCDCC Bank should try to have one or two more vans for the service of the people".
"Now the thrust of bank should be expansion of number of branches to increase the loan services. I wish that during the centenary celebration the bank must have 100 branches. Now, we are moving in the direction, by February SCDCC Bank is going to have 100 branches. Bank of this calibre should be billion dollar bank. The SCDCC Bank is going to create a difference in banking service throughout the country. We have now fundamental right to banking, everybody must have an account. By using the RuPay card we are reducing the transaction cost. A common man can do the business through ATM", he added.
"We have already requested the bank to give the debit or credit RuPay card to every customer of the bank, so that India can save the precious money which is paid to Visa or Master cards. We can spend on RuPay as it is our own domestic card. Everybody can use the plastic money usage. RBI has already told that from the past three years cash transactions in the country have come down to 20 percent. I wish Co-Operative Bank should not stay behind in bringing the technology to people. NABARD is very happy at the efforts of the SCDCC Bank and in future we are also ready for any cooperation from our side for the growth of the bank", he added.
Chief guest G R Chintala also inaugurated two new ATM machines at the bank premises.
SCDCC Bank chairman MN Rajendra Kumar and other bank officials were present on the occasion.