All commercial banks have been directed by Reserve Bank of India to make banking services reach 72000 villages of the country by the year 2012.

''Keeping with the RBI directives, the banks have been engaging retired bank officials, locals and societies as business correspondents (BC) and setting up branches to extend the banking services to unbanked rural and remote areas having population of 2,000,'' United Bank of India (UBI) chairman-cum-managing director Bhaskar Sen said.

Sen said that amongst technological advancements being implemented in the plethora of banking are core banking solutions (CBS), internet banking, mobile banking, online payment, transaction and business.

He added that the bank has received approval to set up 53 new branches in the country of which 7 would be targetted towards the north eastern wing of the country. The total branch count of the bank now in north east is 264.