By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank (MCAB) is in the final stage of introducing ATMs in various branches of the bank in the State.
This move of the bank is further to its recent digitization drive when it introduced core banking system (CBS), a back-end system that processes daily banking transactions and posts updates to accounts and other daily banking transactions.
All city branches of the bank are CBS enabled which will allow customers to transfer funds to any parts of India. The ATMs are sponsored by Yes Bank for RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) – which allows customers to transfer funds over the internet using internet banking.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Darryl F War, Managing Director, MCAB said that the bank has tied up with Yes Bank because it has the latest technology and their offer was good to the tender floated by the bank in this regard. “The ATMs will be on-site, that is, they will be available only on the bank branches to start with,” said War. ATM machines are installed in its main branch whereas Nongthymmai, Mawlai, Motphran, Tura besides Tura, Araimile, Chandmari and Jowai will also have ATMs in the near future.
It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister inaugurated the CBS facility in the MCAB main branch in 2011 and so far it has 14 CBS enabled branches whereas rollout of the same into other branches of the State is on.
The bank has installed VSATs in all its branches and is working with National Informatics Centre (NIC) and BSNL for connectivity to run its CBS. War said that though BSNL is trying everything to maintain good service but its services in the outskirts are largely affected because of the wires being damaged every now and then due to earth works. The bank’s Smit and Nongpoh branches have been in the receiving end for want of connectivity in the recent past, as a result.
Meanwhile, informing about the new building at the MCAB main branch, War said that it will have a training centre, dormitory, guesthouse for officers and staff of the bank, car parking for 30 vehicles at the basement and sub-basement with scope for flats / apartments for officer and other category staff of the bank in future within the campus which is a part of the master plan of the bank.
The old building where the bank’s head office is functioning now will be utilized as a head office. The State PWD department is supervising the work which is slated to be completed this December.