(a) the total number of branches opened during the last three years and the current year, bank, State/UT-wise
(b) whether the Government has conducted any survey to assess the need for more branches of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and that of additional powers;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether several PSBs proposes to open bank branches in various parts of the country; and
(e) if so, the details thereof, bank, State/UT-wise?
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
(a) Bank-wise and State/Union Territory-wise number of branches opened by Public Sector Banks (PSBs) during 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 are at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.
(b) to (e) Banks open banking outlets in the light of Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) instructions, their business plans and commercial viability, and may carry out surveys for assessing the same, if required.
As per RBI’s extant guidelines on “Rationalising the Branch Authorisation Policy” dated 18.5.2017, general permission has been granted to domestic Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks), to open banking outlets at any place in the country, without seeking prior approval of RBI in each case, subject to at least 25 percent of the total number of banking outlets opened during a financial year being in unbanked rural centres with population less than 10,000.
****