Tasso Yaming explains how the bank aims to enhance customer service by sanctioning loans under defined TAT
The SBI-sponsored Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank has taken up several IT initiatives and is working towards many more:
Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank (APRB), a scheduled bank, established on 30 November 1983, is sponsored by State Bank of India. The bank, situated in the trans-Himalayan region, with wide variation in scenic beauty from the plains of Brahmaputra valley to the snow-clad mountains in the north, has head office at district Papum Pare. The bank is committed to provide banking facilities to all segment of the population with a branch network of 28 branches. The bank has several departments at the head office, most of which are headed by women officers under the leadership of chairman Dr Deepak Kumar Gupta.
CENTRAL PROCESSING CLICKS
Tasso Yaming is a Credit Officer of Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank. She has been heading the CLPC (centralized loan processing cell) team and has 3 employees working under her. The bank started the CLPC in the year 2018 under the guidance of its Chairman Dr. Gupta and General Manager Pradeep Kumar Paul.
Tasso narrates her role and gives backdrop of CLPC: “I have been entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the proposal received by the branches and to scrutinize them. The actual sanction is done by the Sanctions Committee. Nowadays credit is one of the most important section of banking industries and to make it more advance and comfortable towards the customers, we have CLPC for the convenience of branches. Here our main objective is to give the best service to our valuable customers by following TAT for sanctioning of loan. For a personal loan, we take only 3 days and for a home loan, only 14 days.”
GROWING ADVANCES
Branches of Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank source proposals by sending scanned soft copy and hard copy through mail or post after completing all due diligence from their side. Tasso explains: “We take a printout and after scrutinizing the proposals, the committee members sanction or control the proposal. In CLPC, we work as a team benefiting our customers without any hassle of huge paper works because most of the processes have been automated.”
Prior to CLPC, as on 31 March 2018 the total advance was Rs1.77 billion and it grew to Rs1.96 billion as on 31 March 2019 and to Rs2 billion as on 31 March 2020, showing a yoy growth rate of 10.8% and 1.7% respectively. Some home loans qualify under PSL, such as affordable housing finance. After CLPC, that has become possible.
“In 2018, the total sanctioned amount was Rs53.6 million but by March 2019 it increased to Rs119.2 million and of late it has reached Rs189.7 million in January 2021. This has been an achievement for the team and a good sign for our institution for future prospects. After sanctioning of the proposal to the branches, we also follow up and monitor those loans for regular repayment. This way, the bank’s NPA level is controlled. APRB is serving their customers with great dedication thereby extending a helping hand for their happier life,”she added.
MAINTAINING CRR, SLR
Cholom Lammaty, 37 years old and a mother of 2, has been heading the department of Accounts and Treasury of Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank since 2018. She reveals the history of the department: “Our bank has been actively managing its treasury since the inception ie. since 1983 by women officials only. Currently, we are 2 officers in this department. Our bank is improving in many factors slowly but steadily.”
Cholom Lammaty points out that the bank has been actively managing its treasury since 1983 by women officials only
There was a time when CRAR of the bank was 6.73% in 2015-16. It increased in the following years as 9.88% (2018-19) and 10.25% (2019-20). Cholom underlines: “Whereas now in the current FY, we have been maintaining CRAR of 10.01 as on December 2020 quarter.”
The bank has its investment advisory agreement with SBI DFHI and its investments committee which guides and helps the department of Accounts and Treasury in dealing with investments of the bank. Cholom claims: “We have never failed in maintaining our CRR and SLR and all the returns are filed online timely and offline whichever is necessary. Further, I’d also like to add one important figure which we have continuously tried to minimize in these years, that is our accumulated loss, which from Rs360.8 mn has dropped down to Rs325.6 mn as on December 2020. With all these facts and figures, I’d like to conclude here that I will continue to give my best with the dedication and commitment towards my bank for all the years to come by.”
ATM, MICRO ATM, SOLAR VSAT
Mansi Bansal heads the Information Technology department of Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank with the responsibility of maintaining the IT infrastructure and software management of all the 31 branches of the bank. She, along with her team of 2 officers have been successful in launching new branch in Nacho, Upper Subansiri district with collective efforts. Mansi provides recent updates: “We have taken up several IT initiatives and are working towards many new technologies. We have been successful in installing the first ever ATM machine in Sagalee, in Papum Pare district. We are under process of installing a number of micro-ATMs at all our branches, which will reduce burden on our staffers and will help them manage the crowd more effectively. We have also deployed solar UPS and solar VSATs in our remote branches, which have negligible connectivity and electricity.”
Mansi Bansal reveals plans to go live on UPI and AEPS very soon
TECH UPGRADATION
The bank also has been successful in replacing maximum systems in its branches with all-in-one desktops and in launching personalized cheque books, printing of which takes place in the head office. Mansi points out: “We have been working on the latest upgraded version of Windows 10. We have also been successful in launching CTS scanning. We are also live on Central KYC Registry, wherein the data of the customers is maintained centrally which is helping in complying with our KYC norms. The bank is introducing new technologies with multiple channels to provide banking services and insurances through banassurance channels with SBI Life Insurance and SBI General Insurance to the people of Arunachal Pradesh.”
IT & PAYMENT PLANS
The bank has also framed policies relating to internet banking, mobile banking and cyber security. Mansi further reveals: “We will also be going live on UPI and AEPS very soon. We are continuously striving our best to secure the IT infrastructure of our bank and will continue implementing upgraded technologies for the betterment. We have been a successful organization and are relentlessly trying to work for our customers bringing in new initiatives every now and then to help provide better customer service and greater employee satisfaction.”
