Agartala, Dec 21 (IANS)

Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB) posted a net profit of Rs.48 crore, the highest among the regional rural banks (RRBs) in eastern and northeastern India, in the current fiscal so far, a top bank official said here Saturday.

TGB, one of India's 82 RRBs, made profit for the second consecutive year.

"The TGB has achieved a net profit of Rs.68 crore during last financial year (2012-13) and earned a net profit of Rs.48 crore so far this year (2013-14). Our net profit target for this year is Rs.90 crore," TGB chairman Upendra Sabar told reporters.

The bank, celebrating 38th foundation day Saturday, has done a business of Rs.4,827 crore this year so far against last year's Rs.4,358 crore.

"The bank (TGB) with 136 branches across Tripura is the first RRB in eastern and northeastern region to start Aadhaar (ID card) based payment under numerous schemes. All branches of the bank were under the CBS (core banking services)," Sabar said.

According to the bank chief, the credit-deposit (CD) ratio of TGB was 41 percent.

"Keeping with the directives of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the TGB has engaged several farmers clubs, retired banks officials and societies to extend the banking services to remote areas with population above 2,000 or even below," Sabar said.

The RBI earlier asked all commercial banks and RRBs across India to extend banking services, in any form, to every village in the country with a population of around 2,000.

"To extend its services to the far-flung, hilly and inaccessible areas of the northeastern state, the TGB has already opened five Ultra Small Branches (USB) and would set up 13 such branches soon," the chairman said.

On the occasion of the TGB's foundation day, the bank has introduced two new schemes -Gramin Samridhi Yojana (GSY) and Rupay Kishan Card (RKC) and modified an old scheme - Own Your Car.

The interest of the GSY, a recurring deposit scheme, is 9.35 percent while in RKC, borrower can withdraw money anytime using ATM.

The TGB using biometric cards has been disbursing wages to 3.70 lakh job card holders under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and pension under the National Old Age Pension schemes.

"The process is on to bring all the MGNREGA and NOAP beneficiaries under biometric cards system to make their payment at the door step," he said.