Indian postmen to turn bankers: Minister
New Delhi, Aug 8: Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) on August 21 to provide financial services to people in underserved areas.
"The Department of Posts reaches every nook and corner of the country including rural and remote areas. With the upcoming nation-wide launch of IPPB, the trusted postman will now become a banker to millions of unbanked and under-banked Indians who have so far had no access to financial services," Sinha told reporters here.
It will leverage the vast network of the Department of Posts (DoP), which has more than three lakh employees and 1.55 lakh post offices, to turn into access points for the new payments banks. Its reach will be further strengthened by grameen dak sevaks.
"Of the 1.55 lakh post offices, 1.30 lakh are in rural areas and with the transformation of all post offices into payments banks by December, the number of bank branches in rural areas would more than double from 49,000 to 1.30 lakh," the Minister said.
The postal bank will offer savings and current accounts, money transfer, direct benefit transfers, bill and utility payments, and enterprise and merchant payments.
The Postal Department already has 37 crore accounts across the country including 17 crore postal savings bank accounts. These accounts would be linked with the IPPB and all services provided by IPPB would be available to existing DoP customers.
The IPPB accounts, which will give four per cent interest rate, will not hold savings of more than Rs one lakh. Any money above that limit would automatically be transferred to the old post office accounts with which the IPPB accounts will be linked.
"IPPB will also offer services including credit, insurance and mutual funds by leveraging its tie-ups with third parties like Bajaj Allianz for life insurance and Punjab National Bank for loans," DoP Secretary A.N. Nanda informed.
The products and services will be offered across multiple channels -- counter services, micro-ATM, mobile banking app, SMS and IVR. On the day of launch, IPPB will have 650 branches at district level and 3,250 access points across the country, Nanda said.
India Post MD and CEO Suresh Sethi said that the aim is financial inclusion and the key objective is financial literacy with prime focus on ease of banking.
"We are bringing the simplest form of banking which will be paperless. A QR card will be given to the villagers which along with biometric verification will enable them for all the financial services. The doorstep services will come at a nominal cost," Sethi said.
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Karnataka Forest Minister warns against illegal tree felling amid gas shortage
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Thursday directed officials to remain vigilant to prevent illegal tree felling in forests, areas bordering them, and government lands in the wake of increased demand for firewood due to LPG scarcity, triggered by the widening West Asia conflict.
In written instructions issued to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of the Forest Force, Meenakshi Negi, the minister said that the impact of the LPG shortage has been felt in Karnataka as well.
Citing that restaurants, resorts and homestays are facing difficulties in obtaining commercial LPG cylinders, and disruptions are being reported in the supply of domestic cooking gas, he has ordered officials to intensify patrols and surveillance to prevent illegal tree felling for firewood.
He further directed all forest circles and divisions to take appropriate patrol and precautionary measures.
The minister warned that if illegal tree felling occurs in forests or government land, the concerned range officer and staff would be held responsible.
