Odisha launches scheme to improve banking penetration in 4,373 panchayats

The Odisha government will provide rent-free banking space for five years. It will also bear one-time expenses for fixed cost and recurring expenses for a period of three years, said officials.

“Financial inclusion is a high-priority agenda of the government and it’s a critical challenge for Odisha, given the low banking penetration in the state. Banking is an essential service for financial inclusion,” said finance minister Bikram Keshari Arukha.

Notably, there is also very slow or negligible progress in Odisha regarding the establishment of brick-and-mortar branch. Under the new scheme, the government will set up customer service point-plus (CSP plus) outlets in unbanked panchayats.

Arukha said people residing in all unbanked panchayats of the state will now have easy access to all kinds of banking services free of cost. “Senior citizens, differently-abled people and pregnant women will get doorstep banking services and they can avail direct benefit transfer of the government in a timely manner,” said the minister.

To facilitate faster and easier deployment of telecom infrastructure to enable speedy 5G rollout, and to mitigate operational difficulties and improve quality of telecom services, the Odisha government amended the Odisha Mobile Towers and Telegraph Line, OFC and related Telecom Infrastructure Policy, 2017. The amendment has been done to align the policy with the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules, 2022.

The cabinet also approved a new scheme NUA-Odisha —Nutana (new), Unnata (developed), Abhilasha (aspirational) — with an outlay of Rs 385 crore that aims to skill one lakh youth every year in the state during the next three years.

“The scheme will work towards addressing the scarcity of skilled human resources in emerging trades by offering high-quality training, fostering industry linkages, and enhancing employability skills,” said chief secretary PK Jena.

Jena said the new scheme will also help to bridge skill gap in the utilisation of new-age technologies in traditional sectors like handicraft, handloom and agriculture. Offerings will include fresh skilling for youths, add-on courses for existing students, digital courses for youths in higher educational institutions and employability skills for students in various institutions.

Under the scheme, the state government plans to rope in program-implementing agencies comprising reputed industries, training providers and industry associations to deliver skilling programmes through an enabling policy framework based on differential and incentive based approach. It aims to ensure the transformation of human lives through skilling leading to economic empowerment, said an official.

Establishment of state-of-the-art training centres, well-equipped labs, and a strong skilling ecosystem are part of the scheme.