From E-Group, Banking-News
SBI launches special service for visually handicapped
The United News of India
Published on July 19, 2010
Mumbai, July 19: (UNI) As part of responsibility to better service
society, State Bank of India (SBI) will soon start a new service for the
visually handicapped persons. It has been given the name Self Service Banking
Centre (SSBC), and is to be operationalised shortly. To begin with the Centre
has been set up at the Delhi Head office of SBI at Parliament Street. The
Centre is handicapped friendly with a ramp for wheelchairs.
Facilities for Visually handicapped include the provision of a dedicated
Braille keypad ATM. SSBC is a staff less technology based banking outfit
providing multiple banking facilities, namely ATMs, Internet banking and mobile
banking. 'Roll out of the SSBCs is aimed at increasing customer convenience and
improving access to financial services,' Senior Bank officials said.
The Centre was inaugurated recently by SBI Chairman O P Bhatt and will
become functional soon. India is perhaps unique in having an extensive and
elaborate programme of financial inclusion. It is incumbent upon state-run
Banks to provide 40 per cent of their lending to customers from the priority
sector, which includes agriculture, artisans, small and medium enterprises and
scheduled castes and tribes. Most government-owned banks also give loans to
students for pursuing studies, whose dimension is growing rapidly.
Another major effort of the Public Sector Banks is to now cover the
unbanked sectors of the economy, which means areas where banking has not
reached the populace in urban and rural areas. A large segment of society
remains under the clutches of money lenders, who charge exorbitant rates of
interest.
State-owned banks are now taking new initiatives to reach out to the less
privileged groups and those having problems by virtue of a chance of birth or
that developed later on in life. They need compassion and help. It is a well
known fact that private sector banks being driven by sheer profit motive are
reluctant to start such services, even though Banks like the HSBC have embarked
upon the exercise of financial inclusion.
Banking services even in a country like South Africa are highly expensive
for the common customer. For instance, keeping money below a certain level is
chargeable, and so is a bank account statement. This is true despite a
nationwide programme of Black empowerment. All said and done, the black
population of South Africa remains poor and finds it difficult to take
advantage of financial services, including banking and insurance.
Experts say many countries regard India as a role model for other
developing countries to emulate with regard to provision of financial
services--it virtually escaped the global meltdown while the banking sector in
the West was in the throes of a financial crisis, its elaborate programme of
financial inclusion and now special facilities for certain sections like women
and small enterprises. The latest in this league are special services for
visually handicapped persons by the biggest bank of the country.
SBI launches special service for visually handicapped
The United News of India
Published on July 19, 2010
Mumbai, July 19: (UNI) As part of responsibility to better service
society, State Bank of India (SBI) will soon start a new service for the
visually handicapped persons. It has been given the name Self Service Banking
Centre (SSBC), and is to be operationalised shortly. To begin with the Centre
has been set up at the Delhi Head office of SBI at Parliament Street. The
Centre is handicapped friendly with a ramp for wheelchairs.
Facilities for Visually handicapped include the provision of a dedicated
Braille keypad ATM. SSBC is a staff less technology based banking outfit
providing multiple banking facilities, namely ATMs, Internet banking and mobile
banking. 'Roll out of the SSBCs is aimed at increasing customer convenience and
improving access to financial services,' Senior Bank officials said.
The Centre was inaugurated recently by SBI Chairman O P Bhatt and will
become functional soon. India is perhaps unique in having an extensive and
elaborate programme of financial inclusion. It is incumbent upon state-run
Banks to provide 40 per cent of their lending to customers from the priority
sector, which includes agriculture, artisans, small and medium enterprises and
scheduled castes and tribes. Most government-owned banks also give loans to
students for pursuing studies, whose dimension is growing rapidly.
Another major effort of the Public Sector Banks is to now cover the
unbanked sectors of the economy, which means areas where banking has not
reached the populace in urban and rural areas. A large segment of society
remains under the clutches of money lenders, who charge exorbitant rates of
interest.
State-owned banks are now taking new initiatives to reach out to the less
privileged groups and those having problems by virtue of a chance of birth or
that developed later on in life. They need compassion and help. It is a well
known fact that private sector banks being driven by sheer profit motive are
reluctant to start such services, even though Banks like the HSBC have embarked
upon the exercise of financial inclusion.
Banking services even in a country like South Africa are highly expensive
for the common customer. For instance, keeping money below a certain level is
chargeable, and so is a bank account statement. This is true despite a
nationwide programme of Black empowerment. All said and done, the black
population of South Africa remains poor and finds it difficult to take
advantage of financial services, including banking and insurance.
Experts say many countries regard India as a role model for other
developing countries to emulate with regard to provision of financial
services--it virtually escaped the global meltdown while the banking sector in
the West was in the throes of a financial crisis, its elaborate programme of
financial inclusion and now special facilities for certain sections like women
and small enterprises. The latest in this league are special services for
visually handicapped persons by the biggest bank of the country.
S.S.Jogi
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