Bank At Doorstep: Assam Man Sails 6 Km Daily To Provide Banking Services In Flood-Hit Villages

Kashem Ali from Assam's Barpeta district, for the past several days, has been carrying his laptop, dongle, fingerprint scanner and a basic printer on a small boat and sailing for over six km to provide banking services in as many as seven villages of the flood-hit district.

Ali is a customer service provider with PayPoint India. In collaboration with the State Bank of India, PayPoint provides kiosk banking services. It includes the withdrawal of funds from accounts of other banks to customers.

"He (Ali) has been providing this service daily…to over 2,200 residents…the villagers have no other means to access their own money lying in their accounts," The Print quoted PayPoint as saying in a statement.

With around 468 villages affected by the floods, Barpeta is one of the worst-hit districts in Assam. Besides the flood, the citation has exacerbated in the district due to water released by the Kurichhu Hydropower Plant, in neighbouring Bhutan.

Also Read: Assam Floods: Health Workers "Borrow" Boats To Provide Aid To Flood-Victims Amid COVID-19 Crisis