“We are happy to get banking services at our doorsteps at a time when no bank and financial institutions were operating in our villages,” said Bharat Basnet, a local businessman.[break]
Madan Kumar Acharya, director of the bank, said the service was initiated in line with the bank´s slogan ´Plough to Hydro´ to focus service on rural areas rather than becoming urban-centric.
Sudheer Thapa, Maga Bank´s Pokhara branch chief, said the bank chose Bhalam VDC for the service after identifying banking potentiality there. He said the banks were planning to add seven new branchless banks in Kaski by the end of next fiscal year. “We will introduce new services soon,” he added. In the second phase, the bank plans to open another branch in Bahumara VDC of Kaski.
Farmer Krishna Bahadur Karki said, “We now have the first bank in our village.” He said they had long felt the need for a bank in the area as most of the villagers into commercial farming. Bhalam VDC is one of the major supplier of vegetalbles for Pokhara.
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