In a major boost to financial inclusion in rural Haryana, Harco Bank has bridged the digital divide by rolling out UPI facilities. This development is expected to revolutionize how farmers and rural artisans in the state manage their finances, moving them away from cash-heavy transactions to seamless digital payments.
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Broad Accessibility: Harco Bank’s 3-tier structure—consisting of the Apex Bank, 19 District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), and nearly 800 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS)—now allows users to perform inter-bank peer-to-peer (P2P) and merchant (P2M) transactions using just their mobile numbers.
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Platinum Card Benefits: Alongside UPI, the bank’s Managing Director, Dr. Prafulla Ranjan, highlighted the issuance of Rupay Platinum Cards to customers. These cards come with an inbuilt ₹2 lakh insurance cover and allow daily transaction limits of up to ₹5 lakh.
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Enhanced Rural Services: To support the digital transition, the bank is also deploying Mobile Banking Vans and Micro ATMs in remote villages. These units provide doorstep services like cash withdrawals and balance inquiries, complemented by SMS alerts for all digital transactions.
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Financial Milestone: The launch comes on the heels of Harco Bank reporting a net profit of ₹82.89 crore for the last financial year. Officials noted that the bank is also assisting the government in running 749 PM-Kisan Samriddhi Kendras and 410 Common Service Centers (CSCs) across Haryana.
Why This Matters: Historically, cooperative bank customers in Haryana had to visit physical branches or use basic ATMs for fund transfers. The integration with UPI empowers rural residents to pay utility bills, shop online, and receive direct benefit transfers (DBT) with the same ease as urban private bank customers.
