The BC Sakhis have achieved a major milestone in Uttar Pradesh, earning a commission of Rs 72.31 crore through their services, and conducting over 10.58 crore banking transactions so far, officials here on Sunday disclosed.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched BC Sakhi (Banking Correspondent) scheme in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide employment to rural women and make them self-reliant while contributing to the state and country’s economies.

As per CM Yogi’s directives, over 37,000 BC Sakhis have facilitated transactions totalling approximately Rs 27,000 crore under this scheme to facilitate financial services in rural areas.

The scheme’s impact is evident, as women have become integral to village society, facilitating financial transactions and services. Villagers now enjoy convenient banking, no longer needing to visit banks to deposit or withdraw money or seek loans.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set a goal of ‘One Gram Panchayat, One BC’ to extend the benefits of the BC Sakhi scheme to as many women as possible and to ensure banking facilities in every village. To achieve this, a widespread campaign is being conducted in each village. More women are showing a growing interest in becoming BC Sakhis.

It is worth mentioning here that, in seven rounds, 771,967 candidates applied for the BC Sakhi positions across 57,695 Gram Panchayats in the state, with 291,146 pre-selected standby candidates. To date, 51,000 BC Sakhis have received training and certification from the IIBF.

The scheme is operational in 39,014 Gram Panchayats, benefiting rural communities.

Priyanka Maurya, a BC Sakhi from Sultanpur, has been recognized as the state’s top performer in the BC Sakhi scheme. She joined the scheme on August 31, 2021, and has since facilitated transactions totalling over Rs 60 crores in 926 out of 929 working days. Through 132,393 transactions, Priyanka Maurya earned a commission of Rs 15,84,033.

She praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, stating that the BC Sakhi scheme is bringing his vision of making women self-reliant to life.

The scheme is gaining popularity among women in rural areas, who feel a sense of pride in participating. It has greatly benefited rural communities by eliminating the need to visit banks to deposit and withdraw money, thus saving time and travel expenses.