Canara Bank, State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank will oversee lead bank responsibilities in Old Delhi, Central North and Outer North, respectively. RBI also changes lead banks for Central and Northwest districts and revokes the assignment for Shahdara.
BKK Bureau, New Delhi | 27 October 2026 | 2:02 PM IST
The Reserve Bank of India has revised lead bank responsibilities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi following the reorganisation of districts notified by the Government of NCT of Delhi. In a notification dated October 26, 2026, the RBI said three new districts—Old Delhi, Central North and Outer North—have been formed, while Shahdara district has ceased to exist.
The district reorganisation was notified by the Delhi government through a Gazette notification dated December 25, 2025. The RBI’s directive assigns a lead bank to each of the three newly created districts and specifies district working codes for the revised administrative structure.
Canara Bank has been assigned lead bank responsibility for Old Delhi, which has been given district working code 03E. State Bank of India will be the lead bank for Central North, with working code 03F. Punjab National Bank has been assigned responsibility for Outer North, which carries working code 03G.
The RBI clarified that the working codes for the new districts must be read as combinations of numerals and letters: 03E is “Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet E”; 03F is “Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet F”; and 03G is “Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet G.”
The notification also changes lead bank assignments in two existing Delhi districts. In Central district, the responsibility has moved from Canara Bank to State Bank of India. The district retains working code 358. In Northwest district, Punjab National Bank has been replaced by Union Bank of India, with the district continuing to carry working code 362.
RBI also revoked the earlier lead bank responsibility for Shahdara after the district ceased to exist under the reorganisation. Bank of Baroda had been assigned responsibility for Shahdara under an RBI circular issued on July 11, 2013. That assignment, associated with district working code 369, now stands revoked.
Responsibilities in the remaining districts of the NCT of Delhi will continue with their existing lead banks until further communication from the RBI. The notification was issued by the Department of Financial Inclusion and Development and addressed to the lead banks concerned.
Revised lead bank assignments
- Old Delhi: Canara Bank; district working code 03E.
- Central North: State Bank of India; district working code 03F.
- Outer North: Punjab National Bank; district working code 03G.
- Central: State Bank of India replaces Canara Bank; working code 358.
- Northwest: Union Bank of India replaces Punjab National Bank; working code 362.
- Shahdara: Earlier Bank of Baroda assignment revoked; working code 369.
Why it matters
The notification establishes the banking responsibility and administrative coding for Delhi’s newly created districts, while updating assignments in two existing districts and removing the former Shahdara designation. Banks, government departments and other institutions using the lead bank framework will need to follow the revised district mapping.
Source: Reserve Bank of India
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