Banks can work with local kirana and chemist shops and ex-servicemen as points for financial inclusion, where people can get their direct benefit transfer payments, Anjuly Chib Duggal, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, said on Wednesday.
"We need to work with such existing institutions, including post offices and common service centres, to further financial inclusion in far-flung areas where banking services are not available," she said at a conference on Social Security Platform.
The government has identified 800 "dark areas" where banking services are very poor and is working on improving internet connectivity and Bank Mitra services in these places, she said.
Additionally, the Department of Financial Services is also working with banks to provide mobile number seeding with bank accounts so that beneficiaries can get alerts on DBT transfers, she said.