Banking services at rural doorsteps

TURA: The Non-Governmental Organization Bakdil which has been extensively working in the rural areas of Garo Hills for the last many years has been selected by the Meghalaya Rural Bank to provide banking services at the doorstep of people residing in the rural areas.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the bank and Bakdil on Friday at the latter’s headquarters in Tura which to allow the organization to function as business correspondent agents with an objective to ensure enhanced financial inclusion which in the long term would lead to achieving greater outreach of the banking sector and help in ensuring the people are able to avail facilities such as savings and loans.
The four Bank Correspondents (BCs), who will be the representatives of the Meghalaya Rural Bank (MRB), will cover Rongram, Dalu and Zikzak development block areas.
They will be equipped with a laptop, a swipe machine, data USB card, finger print machine, cashier receipt cum payment register and bank opening account forms and they would provide necessary information on banking issues and help in financial transactions.
“The new initiative in Garo Hills will benefit the rural population and help to link 100 per cent with the bank,” said an official of Meghalaya Rural Bank.