india

Updated: Aug 23, 2019 02:31 IST

Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday directed Western Zone states and union territories to ensure there is a bank branch within an accessible distance of five kilometres from every village and that all villages should have mobile telephone connectivity within the next three months.

Shah issued the directions as he chaired a meeting of the Western Zone Council in Goa.

Officials said he directed that both government as well as private banks and telecom companies must be mandated to open branches and provide telephone connectivity to villages yet to get these facilities.

“Earlier, a directive was issued that there should be a branch within 10 kilometres of every village. He [Shah] has now directed that the distance be reduced to five kilometres,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

“In Goa, we have six such villages where the nearest bank is more than five kilometres away,” the official said.

“In Goa, there are 17 villages that have no access to mobile connectivity.”

Chief ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and officers from the union territories of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli attended the zonal meeting.

Gujarat chief minister Vijai Rupani called the meeting a “regular one”.

“Issues related to security, schemes for the poor and state government issues were discussed under the chairmanship of Amit Shah.”