State Bank of India (SBI) chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya on Thursday said the bank is committed to financial inclusion of all sections of people in all areas of the country.
“We have launched a financial inclusion of all sections of the people and this is a very enabling programme which we hope will empower all,” Bhattacharya said, while inaugurating an ATM as part of Digital Payment System at Gopal Krishna Tea Garden at Jagiroad in Assam’s Morigaon district. She said that the country’s economy would not be affected as Rs 13 lakh crore have been released to SBI customers in the country and Rs 4 lakh crore of different denominations would be released this month.
“Demonetization has not affected the tea gardens much as care has been taken to ensure that the needs of every worker are met and each of them have a bank account of their own,” the SBI chairperson said.
Tea garden workers get salary every week and “With money coming into the account, we hope there will be some savings which will also help them in taking loans and banks can also assess their repayment capacity,” she said.
Besides, the workers of gardens would get the profit of insurance through small savings in digitalised mode as declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Each worker of Gopal Krishna TE in Morigaon district opened their bank account and has achieved the distinction of being the first digital transacted Tea Garden in Assam. Assam Branch of Indian Tea Association ABITA) Secretary Abhijit Sarma thanked the SBI for making the garden digitally successful.
Source: dnaindia.com