No RBI approval needed for bank branches in northeast: minister
December 30th, 2010 - 3:28 pm ICT by IANSAgartala, Dec 30 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed norms for setting up bank branches in northeast India and no prior approval of the apex regulatory body is required in this regard, a senior Tripura minister said Thursday.The clarification came during a meeting between RBI Governor D. Subbarao and Tripura’s Finance Minister Badal Choudhury in Mumbai Wednesday. Worry was expressed over the gradual fall in the credit-to-deposit ratio in the region.
“Any commercial and nationalised banks can set up branches anywhere in northeast India without prior sanction of the RBI. The bank authorities can independently set up their branches in the region,” Choudhury said in a statement.
“The RBI governor expressed discontent after learning that banks in some places in the northeast region have been providing banking services through business facilitators and business correspondents instead of setting up of bank branches,” the minister added.
According to him, the RBI governor has told him that the central bank would take stern actions against the unauthorised non-banking finance companies collecting money from people.
“Governor Subbarao said non-banking finance companies not recognised by the RBI, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority or the Securities and Exchange Board of India cannot do any monetary business or take deposits,” said the minister’s statement.
“The Tripura government has undertaken an inquiry against the 84 non-banking finance companies in Tripura alone. The government has also sought advice from the RBI and the (federal) finance ministry about the state’s possible steps,” Choudhury stated.
The RBI chief assured to look into issues such as non-availability of currency chests in most of the bank branches, crisis of small-denomination coins and setting up of pension processing centres with the nationalised banks.
“RBI has decided to open its sub-offices in six northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya, in a phased manner,” the minister added.
- RBI to open more offices in northeast - May 05, 2011
- RBI to set up more offices in northeast - Nov 06, 2010
- RBI asks northeast to crack whip on chit funds - May 26, 2011
- Banking services to all Indians by next year: RBI - Mar 26, 2011
- RBI to launch schemes for raising credit flow to northeast - May 20, 2011
- RBI wants banks to serve villages, says official - Sep 28, 2010
- Financial inclusion to get more focus: RBI governor - May 18, 2011
- Regulatory body sought to check illegal financial firms - Mar 10, 2011
- Tripura gets tougher law for illegal financial firms - Aug 18, 2011
- Tripura to probe illegal financial firms - Mar 07, 2012
- RBI cautions investors against illegal finance companies - Jan 07, 2012
- Actions against illegal NBFCs in Tripura to continue - Jun 20, 2010
- Staff of illegal non-banking bodies arrested in Tripura - Jun 12, 2010
- RBI ticks off SBI chairman - Aug 27, 2012
- RBI asks people not to invest in illegal finance companies - Aug 31, 2012
Tags: agartala, badal, bank branches, bank of india, business correspondents, exchange board, federal finance, finance companies, finance ministry, insurance regulatory development authority, nationalised banks, northeast india, northeastern states, rbi approval, rbi governor, regulatory development, reserve bank of india, securities and exchange board of india, subbarao, tripura government