Maharashtra to get 15,000 micro-ATMs from Centre for rural inclusion

Mumbai: In order to facilitate financial inclusion of people from remote areas in the state, Maharashtra will get around 15,000 micro-ATMs from Centre.

Moreover, as many as 20,000 Business Correspondents (BCs) will be appointed for the purpose of taking banking to the doorstep of the people in remote areas by allowing them to do transactions at Point of Sale or PoS (the micro ATM).

The four Aadhaar-enabled basic types of banking transactions can be done through micro-ATMs are balance enquiry, cash withdrawal, cash deposit and Aadhaar to Aadhaar funds transfer.


At present, there are about 500 BCs and their number will be enhanced considerably so that Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) funds can be disbursed to the labour force immediately.

This assurance of micro ATMs was given by Nandan Nilankeni, Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan here recently.

According to Information Technology Secretary Rajesh Agrawal 6.35 crore Aadhar card enrolments have been done in Maharashtra.

"On a daily basis, we are doing 1.5 to 1.8 lakh enrolments which is the highest in the country. At 70-75 per cent, one crore enrolments have been done in Mumbai," he informed.

He said that 50 per cent of Aadhar card machines in the state will be shifted from schools to housing societies to facilitate the penetration.

"50 per cent of the total 4000-5000 Aadhar card machines in the state will be shifted from schools to housing societies. There are about 500 machines in Pune and Thane," Agrawal said, adding that the state will cross 85 per cent enrolment by March 2014.

PTI

Maha govt plans biometric system to facilitate pensioners

Mumbai: In a bid to provide relief to pensioners from submitting yearly life certificates to avail pension, Maharashtra government plans to set up biometric reader machines for online finger print authentication.

Officials in the Department of Information and Technology (IT) said the plan is to set up biometric reader machines in all villages. The machines are proposed to be in PDS shops, citizen service centres and government offices providing e-services.

"The initiative will be useful to state government employees who settle in their native place after retirement. Every year, they have to produce life certificates from tehsildar offices to be submitted to respective banks.

"Instead, the pensioners with Aadhar cards can do their finger print authentication, which will be directly matched with the UID card number stored in the data hub in Ba

ngalore and the banks will get direct intimation about it," the officials said.

They said the state government is awaiting clearance of its proposal by the Centre.

Aadhar card numbers would be made mandatory for sale and purchase of property so that benami transactions can be curbed, officials said.

PTI

Goa may adopt two Uttarakhand villages for rehabilitation

PANAJI: Goa government plans to rehabilitate two villages of flood-ravaged Uttarakhand and announce a relief fund.


Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar said here on Monday that a special account has been opened in the State Bank of India in the name of 'Chief Minister's Uttarakhand Relief Fund', to which the state government would seek donations.

Goa government plans to contribute Rs 5 crore to the fund while Parrikar has also decided to donate his month's earnings, which amounts to Rs 1,29,500, to the fund.

Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's legislative wing will also appeal to all members to donate their one month's salary to the fund, Parrikar said.

Goa has set a target to collect Rs 15 crore to be spent on rehabilitating two villages in Uttarakhand.

Parrikar recalled Goa government had taken up a similar project by adopting a village in Gujarat when that state was hit by a major earthquake in January, 2001.

Andhra Pradesh to issue notification on recruiting 20,000 teachers: CM

Hyderabad: In a major recruitment exercise, Andhra Pradesh government would issue notification for recruitment of 20,000 teachers by end of this month, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said.

Speaking at an event organised in East Godavari district today as part of the 'Education Fortnight', he said the state government has filled up 30,000 vacancies in recent times.

The government has filled about 1.23 lakh vacancies in government departments and another 60,000 would be recruited this year, he said, adding the recruitment was done in a transparent manner.

He said notification to recruit 20,000 teachers would be issued by end of the month.

He said the 'education fortnight' was being organised for the last three years during which several measures were taken.

He also said that the government has involved several departments to ensure that all children in the state go to school.

Humanity is above all religions, Godhra muslims set example for everyone !!

Many Hindu widows could barely make two ends meet with her meager earnings. There are many who struggles with the expenses of their children. But on this historical Sunday, they got help from a society they least expected.

A Godhra-based Muslim charitable trust ( Hamdard Charitable Trust) ensured that widows of Hindu family does not go hungry for the next three months by giving them provisions and eatables.

This initiative comes from a place (Godhra) which was epicentre of communal Riots in 2002. They call it sadbhanva and setting an example for many humanitarians.

" First we are humans, then we follow any religion." It is such an example which has to potential to create history of 'Sadbhavna".

"Godhra earned a bad name after the 2002 riots and there was a general perception that Hindus and Muslims don't stay in harmony here. The trust decided to extend support to Hindu widows and strengthen the unity between two communities," said Mufti Haroon Sindhi, president of HCT.

Leaders of Hindu and Muslim communities shared the stage at the Sardar Nagar Hall at the function that displayed community camaraderie.

"I am sure that this Sadbhavna will go a long way in forging strong ties between both the communities. Women, especially widows, are neglected in our society, so we felt the need to help them lead a respectful life. We will continue supporting Hindu widows," Sindhi said.

"It was a touching gesture from the Muslim trust and I cannot express how much this means to me," said Sharda Bhoi (50), whose husband died in an accident 15 years ago.

Nalin Bhatt, a community leader from Dahod who attended the event, said, "It's a sign of Sadbhavna from Muslims and I hope that Hindus too reciprocate. Both the communities have always stayed together in Godhra.

Kerala gets 72 percent surplus rainfall

Thiruvananthapuram: Ushering in brighter prospects for the power sector, Kerala has received over 72 per cent surplus rainfall since the onset of Southwest monsoon on June 1, after passing through a rain-deficient year that witnessed severe energy crisis and grim drought conditions.

According to India Meteorological Department, till June 19 the state as a whole received 665 mm rainfall against the normal 386 mm for the period.

While all parts of the state received good rains without long pauses, it is all the more significant that Idukki district, where reservoirs of major hydro electric projects are located, got 93 per cent excess rainfall, state power board sources said.

Among the 14 districts, Kannur in north Kerala received the highest amount of rainfall with a surplus of 114 percent.

Last year, the rainfall received by the state was deficient by 24 per cent during the southwest monsoon and 35 per cent during the northeast monsoon periods.

The shortfall pushed the state into one of its worst power crisis, forcing the Government to clamp 90 minutes load-shedding, half of which was during peak hours in the evening, curbs in consumption by non-domestic consumers. rainfall, replenishing reservoirs in that area.

With the prospects brightening, Kerala State Electricity Board last week lifted the one-hour day-time load-shedding and the 30-minute peak-hour cut.

According to KSEB, generation from hydro-electric projects accounts for bulk of the power available in its grid, with supply from thermal plants and small and small and micro projects and non-conventional sources yielding just a minor portion of the demand required.

PTI

SBI to hire 10,000 officers, employees in current fiscal

Mumbai: State Bank of India plans to hire 10,000 officers and employees in the current fiscal to spruce up its operations.

"We will be hiring 10,000 people this year, including 1,500 probationary officers, the process for which started in April. Around 7,500 will be retiring this fiscal," SBI Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri told PTI.

"We have upgraded our branches, all have become air-conditioned. We have adequately staffed our branches. In the last quarter, we recruited 20,000 assistant grade employees at front office," he said.

The bank plans to open about 1,200 branches in the country and another eight branch offices overseas, including China and the UK, in the current fiscal.

Public sector banks hired around 63,000 persons in the last financial year.

The country's largest bank SBI alone recruited 20,000 clerical staff and 1,200 officer level employees.
Besides, other public sector banks hired 22,000 officers and 20,000 clerical staff in the last fiscal.

There were 84,489 vacancies at various levels in the state-owned banks at the end of 2010-11.
Most of the state-owned banks have undertaken recruitment drives in recent years.


The public sector banks had a sanctioned strength of about 8 lakh employees as on March 31, 2012. PTI