Prepare roadmap for financial inclusion by 2012: Pranab to PSBs

JANGIPUR (WB): Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday asked public sector banks to prepare a roadmap for bringing people living in the six lakh-odd villages under the ambit of banking system.

"We have 87,000 nationalised bank branches today. In the next 8-10 years this number will increase to 1 or 1.5 lakh. But this is not sufficient," Mukherjee said at the launch of the Syndicate Bank's 2,314th branch here today.

Mukherjee, who represents Jangipur Parliamentary seat of Murshidabad district, said PSU banks in association with regional rural banks should prepare a roadmap by 2012 to extend banking facilities to all small towns and villages which have a population of around 2,000.

The country's banking system, he said, is now on a strong footing as it has been able to withstand the global economic slowdown.