Model of Wage Payment Through Mobile Banking Gets National Recognition

Bhopal, February 05 (Pervez Bari): The Anuppur model of mobile banking ensuring on-the-spot payment of wages under MNREGS will be extended to all districts in Madhya Pradesh. The Anuppur model was judged as the best practice in implementing the MNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) and was awarded by the President of India. Anuppur figured among 10 districts of the country. Additional Chief Secretary Rural Development R. Parshuram, Chief Executive Officer M.P. State Employment Guarantee Council Shivshekhar Shukla along with concerning officials met the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here today and apprised him of the achievement. Parshuram informed that 10 districts of the country were short-listed for best practices in implementation of NREGS. The mobile banking system of Anuppur was judged as the best practice.
Collector Anuppur Kavindra Kiyawat informed in detail about the encouraging results of mobile banking system. He informed that wages worth Rs. 54 crore have been distributed under the system titled "Aapka Bank Aapke Dwar". This resulted in an increase in number of wage earners by 25 per cent. He informed that mobile banking is so simple that even poor wage earners are now maintaining their bank accounts and the practice of visiting the traditional money lenders has been greatly discouraged.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister congratulated the officials who made sincere efforts and brought laurels to the state. He asked the concerning officials to extend this to other districts. Chouhan said that timely payment of wages is a must. The mobile banking is an effective mechanism, he added. He said that the vital information about the experiment should be spread among other districts so that they may also get benefit. The Anuppur district CEO Rajendra Singh Rajput, General Manager of Anuppur District Cooperative Bank K. K. Raikwar and branch manager Indramani Mishra were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, it may be mentioned here that Anuppur district is located in the north eastern part of Madhya Pradesh, surrounded by Koriadistrict (C.G.) in the East, Shahdol and Umaria District in the West, Shahdol n the North and Dindori (M.P.) and Bilaspur (C.G.) in the South. The district came into existence on 15th August 2003 by division of Shahdol district. Anuppur extends 80 km from east to west and 70 km from north to south. (pervezbari@eth.net)