Patna: In a move aimed at strengthening the banking infrastructure in Bihar, Cooperative Minister Prem Kumar announced plans to open branches of the Cooperative Bank in 15 districts of the state where it currently has no presence.
“In order to expand the bank’s network, we have communicated with RBI for giving permission to open branches of Cooperative Bank in 15 districts. Out of 38 districts of the state, it is functional in 23 districts,” Kumar told reporters here at a press conference.
Out of 534 blocks of the state, cooperative bank’s branches are functional in 290 blocks and the department has written to the RBI for opening 144 branches in as many blocks, Kumar said while giving information about the special banking campaign being run in the month of May as part of International Cooperative Year 2025.
Kumar was accompanied by Department’s Additional Secretary Abhay Kumar Singh, Additional Registrar Prabhat Kumar, Bihar State Cooperative Bank Ltd Managing Director Manoj Kumar Singh and others on the occasion.
The minister also announced that one lakh people will be provided loans from Cooperative Bank through Joint Liability Group (JLG) and Self Help Group (SHG) in the current financial year in order to help farmers, labourers and other needy persons.
It is the priority of the state government to not only provide jobs but also to give them employment opportunities, he said.
Stating that Bihar State Vegetable Processing and Marketing Federation Ltd (VEGFED) committee will be set up in all the blocks of the state by June 15, 2025, Kumar said that VEGFED committee has already been constituted in 470 blocks besides four unions.
VEGFED committee will be constituted in the remaining blocks of the state by June 15, he said adding that nine unions and subsequently federation will also be formed by then.
In order to protect vegetable from decaying, a cold storage having capacity of 10 tonne has been constructed in all the blocks, besides 20 tonne capacity godowns have been built in all the blocks.
As part of special banking campaign being run since May 6, 2025, the minister said that programmes relating to cooperative awareness, financial inclusion and banking services have been organised at 1123 places across the state. The campaign will come to an end on May 30.
Stating that banking services were taken to 805 panchayats through special banking programmes in past one week, he said that 14 micro ATMs have been distributed among people in order to promote rural banking in rural areas.
A total of Rs 60.50 lakh loans have been recovered, the minister said adding that Rs 1.42 crore was given to 203 Kisan Credit Card holders.
