Question : Expansion Plan of PSBs

(a) the salient features of expansion plans of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana with ATM facility, State/UT-wise including Odisha;
(b) the number of PSBs opened under the said scheme during the last five years and the current year, bank and State/UT-wise;
(c) whether there is a proposal to open new bank branches of State Bank of India (SBI) in villages under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
(d) whether any survey has been done by SBI in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the time by which the said branches of SBI are likely to be opened?

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance

(a) As per extant guidelines dated 18.5.2017 on rationalizing of Branch Authorisation Policy, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted general permission 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. For this purpose, banking outlets opened in any centre having population less than 50,000 in North Eastern states and Sikkim and also Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts as notified by the Government of India are also considered as equivalent to opening of banking outlets in unbanked rural centres.
(b) As per information given by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) State/Union Territory-wise number of branches opened by Public Sector Banks (PSBs), during 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 is at Annex.
(c) to (e) State Bank of India (SBI) has informed that they have received 20 representations under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana during the financial year 2016-17 for opening of bank branches. They have opened banking outlets in the three centres while other centres were not found viable. No representation has been received by them during financial year 2017-18.
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