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Digital banking services are becoming more accessible to tribal communities in Gujarats Chhota Udepur district, where a local Bank Sakhi is helping residents carry out financial transactions closer to home, reducing the need to travel to distant bank branches.
In Morkhala village, Sushmaben Shantilal Rathwa has been operating a Banking Correspondent (BC) Point from her home for the past two years, providing services such as cash deposits, withdrawals, and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures to residents of the village and surrounding areas. I started this work just two years ago by setting up a BC Point. People from the surrounding villages use this facility to access banking services. Earlier, they had to stand in long queues at the bank to open accounts, as the bank had a large number of account holders, leading to heavy crowds. Now, through this BC Point, villagers can carry out various banking transactions, including depositing and withdrawing money. KYC and other related services are also available here, Sushmaben said. Her journey into banking began through a Sakhi Mandal under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). After receiving training and qualifying as a Bank Sakhi, she gained practical experience working with a bank before establishing the service point in her village. Around five years ago, under the NRLM scheme, I received training after joining a Sakhi Mandal. Since I was an active member, I was selected for the training and awarded a certificate as a Bank Sakhi. Based on this certificate, I was assigned to work at a bank. I would visit the bank three days a week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and received Rs 3,000 per month for this work, she said. The local banking facility has reduced the distance residents need to travel for routine financial transactions. Earlier, people from Morkhala and nearby villages had to visit banking facilities in Bodeli and Suryagoda, located around 1213 kilometres and 78 kilometres away, respectively. Banking services are now available in Morkhala village, which makes things much easier for us. Instead of travelling to government banks in Bodeli or Suryagoda, we can access banking services close to home. People from nearby villages also come here. Morkhala is about 56 kilometres from Vandad, while Bodeli is 1213 kilometres away and Suryagoda is 78 kilometres away. Having banking facilities in our village makes depositing and withdrawing money much more convenient. We also trust this service, as our financial transactions are handled smoothly here, said Prafulbhai Ranchorebhai Bariya, a local resident. Other residents have also highlighted the convenience of accessing banking services within the village, particularly for people who would otherwise have to spend additional time travelling. Earlier, we had to travel two to three kilometres to access banking services. Now, all our banking work can be done right here in our village. Whether we need to withdraw or deposit money, or carry out any other banking transaction, everything is taken care of here. We are receiving the benefits of this government-provided facility in our own village, said Navneet Kumar, another resident. The Fintech Sakhi initiative is helping connect rural communities with essential financial services while creating livelihood opportunities for trained women. By combining digital banking with local entrepreneurship, the initiative is supporting financial inclusion in tribal areas and enabling women such as Sushmaben to build greater economic independence. Sushmabens journey highlights how access to training and digital financial services can help women become local service providers while making everyday banking more convenient for underserved communities. (ANI)
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