India Post bank to push financial inclusion, boost rural economy: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Kolkata, Sep 1 : Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said the operations of the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) will strengthen the financial inclusion programme in India and make country's "village systems" stronger.
The Department of Posts is rolling out 650 branches and 3,250 access points of IPPB across India from Saturday and it aims to provide banking services to every citizen of India by leveraging the network of 1.55 lakh post offices of the department.
Of this, 27 branches and 135 access points were inaugurated in West Bengal circles comprising Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and West Bengal.
"Remaining 8,942 post offices in the circle will function as access points gradually in a phased manner by end of December 2018," a statement said.
"IPPB is a revolutionary step in the field of financial inclusion. When the IPPB starts operations, the villages will become good unit and the payments bank will become a strength to make village system stronger," said the Union Minister of Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology.
The IPPB, which has been set up as a public sector bank with 100 per cent equity under the postal department, has a vast network of the India Post with a rural penetration of 1.3 lakh access points (post offices), nearly 2.5 times the number of bank branches in rural India.
"When the IPPB starts operation, the revenue, accountability and credibility of postal department will skyrocket," he said at the inauguration of IPPB Kolkata branch here.
Elaborating on the digital profile of the country, Prasad said there are 120 crore mobile phones and 45 crore smart phones available in the country, while 122 crore people have Aadhaar card.
Explaining the growing transactions through digital mode, he said the transactions value through BHIM-UPI have gone up to Rs 45,845 crore as of July 2018 from Rs 5,325 crore in September 2017.
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
