RAWALPINDI: Bhata village in tehsil Gujar Khan has become a digital-enabled village on the map of State Bank, providing financial services to villagers at their doorstep.

This is the sixteenth digital-enabled village across the country monitored by the State Bank. Major commercial banks followed the instructions of State Bank, and made arrangements to make Bhata village as ‘digital enabled village’.

‘Digital Enabled Village’ scheme is an initiative of State Bank, providing 100 per cent financial literacy for all population, 80 per cent account opening, 50 per cent mandatory female accounts, on boarding of all merchants and shops in villages through QR deployment and ATM installation.State Bank is carrying out these initiatives through partner commercial banks.

In this regard, a ceremony was held at the village on Wednesday, where officials of State Bank and commercial banks organized national financial literacy programme to brief villagers on the advantages of digital banking in their daily lives.

With the installation of an ATM facility, a drive was launched to motivate villagers to open bank accounts. Major banks including UBL, ABL, MCB, Khushal Micro Financing Bank, and Jazz Cash attended the launching ceremony.

Villagers were informed that the ATM facility will work round the clock to serve as a milestone in digital banking at village level.

The regional official of UBL, Inam-ur Rehman announced on the occasion that a full service bank branch will soon start operation in Bhata village.

While speaking on the occasion, MPA Shaukat Aziz Bhatti emphasized the need to adapt new innovations that bring more benefits.

A team of State Bank Rawalpindi led by Chief Manager Rizwan Khalil Shamsi and Deputy Chief Manager, Umer Siddique Khattak attended the launching ceremony, and reviewed the launching of the financial services.

Mr Rizwan Shamsi said that the development of Bhata village as ‘digital enabled village was one of the priorities of SBP so that people of rural areas benefit from modern banking facilities.

He explained the initiative of RAAST and said through this platform people can get foreign remittances. Digital financial services also empower women in digital financial services, he added.

State Bank made arrangements for the villagers to get fresh currency notes on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.A ‘Banking On Wheel’ service was made available to provide fresh currency notes.

Villagers thanked State Bank and commercial banks for providing financial services at their doorsteps.An elderly villager, Khawar Janjua commented that the village has now become digital-enabled bank in real sense.

The population of village is 4000, and majority of people are government employed like teachers, armed forces, police and patwaris.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026