Date:25/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/05/25/stories/2006052502810600.htm

Back SBI Kerala circle networked

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, May 24

The Kerala circle of State Bank of India has become the first to become fully networked under the core banking platform. Speaking at a function here to commemorate the event, the SBI Chairman, Mr A. K. Purwar, said it has been proposed to network the SBI Group within the next six to eight months. Even villages now require world class banking facilities given the pivotal social role banks have come to play. Almost 30 per cent of all ATMs are now located in the rural areas, Mr Purwar said. The number of transactions clocked is on a par with those in the urban areas. The ultimate aim is to remove the rural-urban divide in the rollout of banking services, Mr Purwar said. Earlier, the State Governor, Mr R. L. Bhatia, switched the circle-wide networking facility on.