Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday asked public sector banks to make accounts of all tea garden workers in Assam direct benefit transfer (DBT) compatible by March 15.
The minister also instructed the banks to install ATMs in all 17 tea garden districts of Assam within 40 days of receiving a list from the state government as to where they want these.
The minister, who held a meeting with chiefs and executive directors of all PSBs, said she wanted the banks to be more agile in view of the efforts made by the state government to ensure they get the government plans and programmes, including the direct benefit transfer efforts, moving.
"I have clearly given a direction to the banks that all accounts of the tea gardens workers should be made DBT compatible in the sense they should have all the prudential norms and other things as is required," Sitharaman told media persons.
Asking the banks to be flexible, she said they shouldn't insist on Aadhaar as the only valid identity document and accept other valid identity proofs like voter I-cards as far as the tea garden workers are concerned.
"Even if it is going to be difficult, I want to be sure the banks have taken a flexible approach in being able to bring in all the tea garden workers, who had an account, and that account should seamlessly continue.
"For any mismatches that may exist in the name or matching of name together with the other valid identity, I am not insisting on Aadhaar, but any other valid identity like voter card. All that reconciliation should happen before March 15," she said.
The Minister said the banks must ensure the accounts of all tea garden workers are reconciled with whatever other valid identity document they have with them.
"There should not be any mismatches. And if the state government so wants, the accounts should be ready to receive the DBTs," she said.
With regard to setting up ATMs in the tea garden districts, she said the state government would provide a mapping within seven-ten days about where they want these to be installed.
"As soon as the list is provided by the state government., all the banks will be given the list, and ...I would think 40 days after that ATMs should be in place where the state government asks for it," she said.
Asked about the connectivity problems in tea garden areas the banks have been raising as a major roadblock in providing direct transfer to accounts of the workers, she said state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has spoken to service providers.
"They are willing to work with the state government and the banks. So connectivity should not be a problem. And with all banks cooperating, things should fall in place," she said.
The minister said banks have also been asked to increase the number of bank Mitras where necessary so that they can actually collect the cash and deliver it.
Biswa Sarma said the BJP-led government in the state opened eight lakh accounts of tea garden workers. "But because of KYC (know your customer) issues, 30 per cent of them were not operational."
After Sitharaman's directive, all these 2.5 lakh bank accounts would become live soon, he added.
Festival of democracy enters second leg with 88 Lok Sabha seats across India set to vote
While 89 constituencies were slated to go to polls in the second phase, as per the initial announcement by the Election Commission, voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul was advanced to the third phase on May 7 following the death of the BSP candidate in the fray.
Tripura BJP issues show-cause notice to party leader for slamming TMP chief Pradyot Debbarma
A day before the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP in Tripura on Thursday served a show cause-notice to one of the party’s Vice-Presidents, Patal Kanya Jamatia, who accused Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma of “spreading hatred” among tribals and non-tribals in the state.
PM Modi ups ante against Congress, says Rajiv Gandhi abolished inheritance law to 'save own interests'
Upping the ante against the Congress on the 'inheritance tax' issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched another scathing attack on the grand old party, saying it was former PM Rajiv Gandhi who abolished the inheritance law "to save their own interests" after the demise of his mother Indira Gandhi.
Multi-cornered contest in Tripura East LS seat going to polls on Friday
A multi-cornered contest will be witnessed in the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, which goes to the polls in the second phase of the 7-phase parliamentary elections on Friday.
Credit card data of 17K ICICI Bank users exposed; bank blocks cards, assures compensation
After credit card data of at least 17,000 new ICICI Bank customers was exposed and reached "wrong users", the bank said on Thursday that it has blocked these cards and is issuing new ones to the customers.
TRIPURA: BSF jawan on election duty dies after rifle accidently goes off
In a tragic incident amid the preparation for the second phase of polling in Tripura, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, who was engaged in election duty died after his rifle went off accidentally.
13.96 lakh voters to cast vote in 1664 Polling stations tomorrow
Although nine candidates are in the fray in the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, the main battle will be mainly between BJP candidate Kirit Singh Debbarma and CPIM candidate Rajendra Reang.
CM leads campaign with vigor, Completes 30 rallies, 18 road shows covering over 6,000 km
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha vigorously campaigned for BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha elections & Bidhan Sabha by-election, participating in 30 public rallies, 18 road shows, and 7 padyatras.