Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched with the objective to inter-alia provide universal access to banking facilities. Under the scheme all rural and semi-urban areas were mapped into 1.59 lakh Sub-Service Areas (SSAs) where one SSA catering to 1,000 to 1,500 households. While 0.33 lakh SSAs have been covered with bank branches, 1.26 lakh SSAs, have been covered by deployment of interoperable Bank Mitras. Bank Mitras provide banking services to customers including financial transactions.

As apprised by banks 10,472 SSAs are covered through Business Correspondents for providing banking services in the state of Bihar.

As far as Customer Care Centres are concerned, banks are permitted to set up such centres, as part of their grievance redressal mechanism.

As per the Reserve Bank of India’s circular dated 1.7.2014 the banks are to adopt technology-based solutions for managing the risk as engagement of intermediaries such as Business Facilitators/ Correspondents involves significant reputational, legal and operational risks.

Further, banks have been directed to constitute Grievance Redressal Machinery for redressing complaints about services rendered by the BCs. The name and contact number of designated grievance redressal officer are also made known and widely publicized. If a complainant does not get satisfactory response from the bank within 60 days from the date of his/her lodging the compliant, he/she will have the option to approach the Office of the Banking Ombudsman concerned for redressal of his/her grievance/s.

Accordingly, all BCs related complaints are handled by respective banks or through Banking Ombudsman, in terms of the extant RBI guidelines.

This was stated by Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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DSM/RM/PD