VIJAYAWADA: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) chief general manager (AP and Telangana) Jiji Mammen has urged the farmers and people of rural areas to avail the services being provided by the banks.
He launched a financial literacy campaign, ‘Vidya Saksharatha Abhiyan’ in the city Tuesday, marking the 33rd foundation day celebrations of NABARD.
Addressing the inaugural meeting of the campaign at Hotel Ilapuram, Mammen said that the aim of the financial literacy campaign was to create awareness among the people on banking services like opening a bank account, savings, money transfer, bill payments, loans and insurance facilities.
“The NABARD thought of taking the message through trains and buses, for they are the preferable mode of transport for the rural people,” Mammen said. As part of this, they are painting 12 trains and 165 APSRTC buses with financial literacy messages and posters explaining the benefits of holding bank accounts
Indian Bank convener C Naik averred that, “Even though many people opened bank accounts, they are not operating them and hence are not getting benefited by the banking services, due to lack of knowledge.”
Andhra Bank general manager G Ravi Kumar said that people should feel comfortable to avail the banking services and the campaign helps them get to know the various schemes being offered by the banks.
Sub-collector D Harichandana pointed out that only 30 per cent of people were utilising the services of organised sector, while the remaining 70 per cent were approaching the unorganised sector like chit fund companies, for they believe that it will take a lot of time to get loans from banks.
However, these trains would exhort the rural people to open their accounts at nearest banks and also take the advantage of all the services being offered by the banks, she said and suggested that the banks should provide the facility of sending alert messages about various schemes and services to the people.
Later, Mammen flagged off a passenger train from Vijayawada to Kakinada, bearing the financial literacy posters on it, at Vijayawada railway station.
NABARD AGM N Madhu Murthy, general manager L Munda, Nestham NGO director V Suresh, senior government and bank officials participated in the programme.