Business

With transactions worth Rs.120 crore, the ‘Bank wali Didiya’ transforms the banking scene in Jharkhand

The popularity of banking correspondents increased significantly in the state during the first and second waves of Coronavirus

PGurus Newsdesk

December 5, 2021

The popularity of banking correspondents increased significantly in the state during the first and second waves of Coronavirus

‘Bank wali Didiya’ of Jharkhand’s village changes banking experience of people

The ‘Banking Correspondent Sakhi‘ (BC Sakhi) from Jharkhand’s villages are making transactions worth Rs.120 crore every month and with their efforts, the banking services are reaching the doorsteps of people even in the remote villages.

About 4,500 women from Jharkhand’s villages have changed the banking scenario in the state. They are like mobile banks in themselves.

With the services they offer, the elderly do not have to stand in long queues after travelling 10-20 km for pension. Be it the farmers, who save money by working in the fields, or the students, who get benefits from government scholarships, everyone is getting banking services at home. The people of the villages know the women as ‘Bank wali Didiya‘.

These women are associated with self-help groups — ‘Sakhi Mandals’, which have been formed under the Centre’s National Rural Livelihood Mission. In Jharkhand, the mission is being run through Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS).

According to JSLPS CEO Nancy Sahai, as many as 4,619 women are working as ‘BC Sakhi’ across the state. The government aims to have one BC Sakhi in every panchayat.

Currently, every month these banking correspondents do around 2.75 lakh transactions. During the first and second waves of Coronavirus, the popularity of these banking correspondents increased significantly in the state.

Adhering to the Covid protocol, the banks were functioning in a limited manner and it was these ‘Didis’ who performed the day-to-day banking tasks such as dispersing pension and scholarship in the rural areas, deposit-withdrawal in bank accounts, and Aadhaar updation among others.

Snehlata Jojo of Raikera panchayat under the Bano block of Simdega is also a BC Sakhi. Wearing slippers, carrying a plastic bag in hand and a laptop bag on her shoulder, about 30-year-old Snehlata, walks eight to 10 km on foot every day in her gram panchayat to provide the banking facilities at doorsteps.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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