Internet and mobile banking would be expanded during the coming days and more facilities would be added to ATMs, State Bank of India, Kerala Circle, Chief General Manager B S Bhasin said.

Steps would be taken in the current fiscal to expand the base of internet banking with additional facilities to disburse salaries for employees, Bhasin and SBI Kerala Circle General Manager V Ramamoorthy told reporters here yesterday.

Mobile banking facility would be made available even on phones that did not have an internet connection, Bhasin said.

'We are launching it in a big way', Bhasin added.

New features like facility to deposit money through ATM would be introduced shortly, he said.'One could deposit both cash and cheques through this facility to any accounts they wish', he said.

SBI would introduce for the first time in Kerala the 'POS' machines, cash terminals as a pilot project in four branches in Kochi. The new facility to speed up the process of cash withdrawals and deposits would be introduced next week,he said.

Referring to the functioning of dedicated loan processing centres, Bhasin said the new system had proved to be a success and Bank was ready for making necssary modifications and changes as per the suggestions of customers.

SBI did not believe in strong arm tactics to recover loans from its customers. 'Unfortunately some other banks employ outsiders to collect money.They create some problems', he said to a question.

SBI have no outsiders to do its business. The bank recruited 1134 persons last year and another 875 would join in few days time, he said.

On Banks business in the circle, he said total business has reached Rs.29,276 crore as on March last. Deposits stood at Rs.16,700 crore while advances crossed Rs.12,400 crore, he said.