Union Finance Minister inaugurates Doorstep Banking Services

New Delhi: – The public sector banks in India will start providing Doorstep Banking services soon. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the service. This will make the banks more customer-friendly, and the public sector banks will be providing the regular services at the customer’s doorstep. These services will be provided through Doorstep Banking agents. This will make it easy for people from rural areas, senior citizens and differently-abled people to use banking services.

Stress is being given on smart banking under the Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE) program. The Doorstep Banking services have been started under this program. With this service, customers will be able to avail banking services at home. Currently, non-financial services will be provided under Doorstep Banking. Cheque collections, demand draft and pay orders, requisition for new cheque book, various forms, application for account statement, cheque book delivery, delivery of Fixed Deposit receipts, TDS Form-1 delivery, will be made available.

But facilities like credit-a-click, dial-a-loan, and banking-on-the-go will not be available to the customers. The customers will have to pay a nominal charge for these services. The services will be available from October. It was proposed to start the doorstep banking services only for the differently-abled and senior citizens. Still, because of the Coronavirus pandemic, it was decided to start the service for all customers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested that the banks should focus on establishing a direct dialogue with the customers without depending on the credit rating agencies. Appropriate technology should be used to establish this dialogue, and it should be ensured not to rely only on the technology links.

This program, conducted via videoconferencing, was attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, Finance Secretary Rajeev Kumar, President of the Indian Banking Association and Chairman of the State Bank of India, Rajnish Kumar.