INCLUSIVE GROWTH

-Role of Banks as Credit provider in the Economy and Credit delivery models

by Mr. Ganesh Pawar, Mr. Sushil Kumar, Mr. Joshi & Mr. Deepak Chawla

Introduction
Meaning:

Financial Inclusion is the delivery of banking services at affordable costs to vast sections of disadvantaged and low income groups including households, enterprises, SMEs, traders.

Indian Scenario

Around 50% of the Indian population suffers from chronic poverty and hunger. Only 31 % of the Indian population has accsess to Banking services. The rest 69 % are still deprived of bare minimum banking services for which they are totally dependent on informal banking sources like private money lenders. While the need to solve this mammoth problem is great, we are unable to reach large numbers of the poor with products, services and information they need to achieve financial security.

Aim

Our national vision for 2020 is to open nearly 600 million new customers' accounts and service them through a variety of channels by leveraging on IT. However, illiteracy and the low income savings and lack of bank branches in rural areas continue to be a road block to financial inclusion in many states. To achieve this objective commercial banks have started a drive to open branches in hitherto unbanked areas.

Steps

It can be said that Bank nationalization was first step towards Financial Inclusion in India.
RRBs were created to take banking services to rural people. Public Sector banks are making use of the services of non-governmental organizations (NGOs/SHGs), micro-finance institutions and other civil society organizations as intermediaries for providing financial and banking services. These intermediaries are being used as business facilitators (BF) or business correspondents (BC) by commercial banks.

With a view to achieve complete Financial Inclusion our bank has introduced "no-frills" banking account viz PNB Mitra account. An overdraft facility of Rs 100 to 500 is available abinitio. PNB has also launched mobile ATMs to cover unbanked rural slum areas. General Credit Cards (GCC) are issued to the poor and the disadvantaged with a view to help them access easy credit. PNB has donated 1.81 crores for spastics, handicapped thru NGOs and charitable institution.Banks are also engaging services of Ex-servicemen as business facilitators.

Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) of the poor such as landless, share croppers and tenant farmers is another innovative mechanism towards ensuring greater financial inclusion. This mechanism has already been operationalised in a few regions under a Pilot Project of NABARD. Commercial Banks have been actively promoting such groups for effectively purveying credit and other facilities to such clients.

In the current budget the govt has earmarked a sum of Rs 100 Crores for Banks to open branches in un banked and difficult areas. Biometric card based authentication devices, are being used by the banks Business Correspondents at the villages.

Achievements :
So

far, 344 districts have been identified by State Level Bankers Committee for 100 per cent financial inclusion. As a result of the campaign of the public sector banks, 175 districts in 21 States and 7 Union Territories have reported having achieved the target.

The self-help group (SHG)-bank linkage Programme has emerged as the major micro-finance Programme in the country and is being implemented by commercial banks, RRBs and co-operative banks. As on March 31, 2008 3.6 million SHGs had outstanding bank loans of Rs.17,000 Crore, an increase of 25 per cent over March 31, 2007 in respect of number of SHGs credit linked. During 2007-08, banks financed 1.2 million SHGs for Rs.8,849 Crore. As at endMarch 2008, SHGs had 5 million savings accounts with banks forRs.3,785 Crore.

The State Level Bankers Committee has set up 134 Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) @ one in each district by 31.03.2008. These institutions are training at least one youth in a family below poverty line (BPL) in various fields and enhance capacity building. The debt waiver and debt relief scheme introduced in the last budget has been extended even this year as part of financial inclusion.

Conclusion :

Credit has done more to enrich nations than all the gold mines in the world put together. Commercial banks act as spokes in the wheels for drive to achieve 100 % financial inclusion in India. Financial inclusion through Commercial banks shall wipe out the last tear from the face of most deprived person on the Indian soil.

THANK YOU