KATHMANDU: Despite Nepal Rastra Bank's mandatory provision that requires a commercial bank to set up offices at every local level, the banks are yet to operate in 76 local levels. According to the latest details published by Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal, commercial banks have extended their services to only 677 levels, out of 753 across the nation. NRB said that commercial banks have been established at 119 local levels out of 137 in Province 1, and 132 out of 136 in Province 2. So far, eight local units in Province 3 have not witnessed the establishment of commercial banks. The province has 119 local levels altogether. In the case of Gandaki Province, branches of commercial banks have been set up at 82 levels out of 85. The central bank states that two levels in Province 5 are yet to avail of the bank facilities locally while 62 out of 79 levels in Karnali have commercial banks. A total of 65 units out of 88, in the Far Western Province, have no commercial banks. Till October 17 this year, the number of banks and financial institutions getting permission from the central bank for operational autonomy has reached 154, and of them, 28 are commercial banks while 33 are development banks, 24 are finance companies and 69 micro finances.