200 new bank branches in rural Assam next fiscal: RBI Governor

GUWAHATI: Commercial banks have agreed to open 200 new branches in rural areas of the state during the next fiscal, RBI Governor D Subbarao.

Talking to reporters after the apex bank's central board meeting here today, Subbarao said 2,300 villages having a population of over 2,000 inhabitants in the state have been included in the banking sector under the programme.

"But that access has largely been through appointment of banking correspondents. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has requested that the number of brick and mortar branches must be significantly increased.

"They (state government) have calculated that to take Assam to the national average... they need another 600-odd branches. All the commercial banks have collectively agreed to open 200 new branches in rural areas of Assam in 2013-14," Subbarao said.

There are currently 1,700 bank branches across the state. The RBI chief also said the apex bank would intensify its public outreach programmes in the state and the North Eastern region.

"I have asked our office in Guwahati and all our offices in the North East to take greater attention towards disseminating the RBI's reports outside the bank," he said.

Subbarao said a number of seminars and public outreach programmes have been held in the North East during recent years.

"After our Annual Policy on May 3 we are going to have a major dissemination event in Guwahati. That will be a national effort handled by the central office of the RBI," he said.