Performance of RRBs in Odisha : An Empirical Study on Amalgamation Effect

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), now spread all over India, have been playing a great role in all round rural development of the nation. Their role in spreading financial inclusion has been highly recognized by Ministry of Finance, GoI and the Reserve Bank of India in their various reports. To strengthen the functioning of these RRBs, many committees have given many a suggestions, including amalgamation. Has amalgamation of RRBs resulted in improving governance?The present paper reviews the growth of Indian banking sector and, particularly the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). RRBs are owned jointly by Central Government, State Governments and commercial banks. The paper uses both secondary and primary data to study and check, whether there has been any significant improvement, in the very functioning of RRBs, with a special focus to state of Odisha