Banking Regulation Act, 1949
23. Restrictions on opening of new, and
transfer of existing, places of business
(1) Without obtaining the prior permissions of
the Reserve Bank-
(a) no banking company
shall open a new place of business in India or change otherwise than within the
same city, town or village, the location of an existing place of business
situated in India; and
(b) no banking company
incorporated in India shall open a new
place of business outside India or change, otherwise
than within the same city, town or village in any country or area outside India , the location of an
existing place of business situated in that country or area:
PROVIDED that nothing in this sub-section shall
apply to the opening for a period not exceeding one month of a temporary place
of business within a city, town or village or the environs thereof within which
the banking company already has a place of business, for the purpose of
affording banking facilities to the public on the occasion of an exhibition, a
conference or a mela or any other like occasion.
(2) Before granting any permission under this
section, the Reserve Bank may require to be satisfied by an inspection under
section 35 or otherwise as to the financial condition and history of the
company, the general character of its management, the adequacy of its capital
structure and earning prospects and that public interest will be served by the
opening or, as the case may be, change of location, of the place of business.
(3) The Reserve Bank may grant permission
under sub-section (1) subject to such conditions as it may think fit to impose
either generally or with reference to any particular case.
(4) Where, in the opinion of the Reserve Bank,
a banking company has, at any time, failed to comply with any of the conditions
imposed on it under this section, the Reserve Bank may, by order in writing and
after affording reasonable opportunity to the banking company for showing cause
against the action proposed to be taken against it, revoke any permission
granted under this section.
57[(4A) Any Regional Rural Bank requiring the
permission of the Reserve Bank under this section shall forward its application
to the Reserve Bank through the National Bank which shall give its comments on
the merits of the application and send it to the Reserve Bank:
PROVIDED that the Regional Rural Bank shall
also send an advance copy of the application directly to the Reserve Bank.]
(5) For the purposes of this section
"place of business" includes any sub-office, pay office, sub-pay
office and any place of business at which deposits are received, cheques cashed
or moneys lent.]