BHUBANESWAR: Even as 4,060 out of 6,794-gram panchayats (GPs) of the State are yet to have a bank branch and large pockets of rural parts of the State are without a banking network, the Targeted Financial Inclusion Intervention Programme (TFIIP) in some of the aspirational districts is not satisfactory.
Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nuapada and Rayagada are the four districts out of the 10 aspirational districts that need to improve their performance by organising financial literacy camps and increasing the enrolment of beneficiaries under government-sponsored insurance and pensionary schemes.
As per the latest report of the State-level banking committee, the Kalahandi district is below the state average so far in the number of enrolments per lakh population under the Pradhan Mantri Jiban Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY). The district has enrolled 6,015 as against the State average of 6,405. Dhenkanal district has topped with an enrolment of 12,435 (per lakh population).
Similarly, under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Bima Yojana (PMSBY), four districts of Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur and under Atal Pension Yojana (APY) six districts are below the state average of beneficiary enrolment.
An ambitious programme of NITI Aayog, the Centre has launched the TFIIP to ensure maximum coverage of eligible persons under the pensionary and insurance schemes. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has given a target of 3,70,940 beneficiaries for enrolment under APY during the current financial year.
The performance of the commercial banks operating in the State is not satisfactory so far when it comes to the disbursement of the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) is concerned. The National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) had earmarked Rs 32.26 crore under FIF to the State under 20 schemes for 2021-22. Though Rs 25.67 crore were sanctioned to different banks by end of March 31, 2022, only Rs 9.63 crore was disbursed.
The FIF is meant for sensitising the staff of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Co-operatives Banks on financial inclusion in a focused manner, training business correspondents (BCs) of banks with institutional support and providing support to banks for setting up financial literacy centres to educate people on financial matters.