Reserve Bank of India (RBI), vide, its circular dated 8.6.2017 advised all the State Level Bankers’ Committees (SLBCs) Convenor Banks to review and identify Unbanked Rural Centres (URCs) in villages with population above 5000 and ensure that such Unbanked Rural Centres are banked forthwith by opening of Core Banking Solutions (CBS) enabled banking outlet.

Further, RBI has apprised that all villages with population above 5000 are banked in several States / Union Territories by now.

The Ministry of Finance, vide, its communication dated 18.12.2017 requested all State Level Bankers’ Committees (SLBCs) to discuss the matter of uncovered / inadequately covered villages in its meetings and work out a suitable action plan for providing banking outlets.

This was stated by Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Minister of State for Finance in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Financial inclusion mandate requires SLBCs to bank unbanked rural centres and devise action plans to open CBS-enabled outlets. Reserve Bank guidance required review and identification of Unbanked Rural Centres (URCs) in villages with population above 5000 and directed that such centres be provided banking access by opening Core Banking Solutions (CBS) enabled banking outlets. The Ministry of Finance asked state-level banking committees to discuss uncovered or inadequately covered villages and prepare coordinated action plans for providing banking outlets.