PATIALA:  Vijaya Bank will open 5 new branches in Punjab in current financial year. Giving this information the Deputy General Manager B. S. Rai said here today that during the financial year 2007-2008 the bank has opened 73 Branches of which 5 extension counters were upgraded in all over India.

The bank has network of 1053 branches, 47 Extension Counters and 296 ATMs. Currently Vijaya Bank has 25 branches in Punjab with the opening of 5 more branches Vijaya Bank will serve better to the customers in Punjab.  In the era of competition Vijaya Bank also opening ATMs in Punjab. Currently 10 ATMs have been working in the state and 10 new ATMs will likely to be installed in current financial year.

Rai said that Vijaya Bank has been maintain credit deposit ration in this region comprising Punjab, Haryana, J& K, HP Uttaranchal and Saharanpur (UP). 

Realising your constantly evolving and diverse needs, the bank has diversified too. Bank has entered in several new areas such as credit card, merchant banking, hire purchase and leasing, and electronic remittance services. Rai added.

Vijaya Bank is one among the few banks in the country to take up principal membership of VISA International and MasterCard International. Vijaya Bank has implemented agricultural debt waiver and relief scheme-2008 announced by Government in India.

174 farmer's accounts have been indentified in its north circle comprising Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh branches. Rai said that 85 farmers were small and marginal farmers were benefitted with this scheme in this region. The total amount of the eligible waiver under the scheme works out as 81.73 lacs only.

The loans of small and marginal farmers were waived off in tune of 47.90 lakhs. All the branches implementing the scheme have displayed the list of eligible beneficiaries.