The Maharashtra government has decided to start e-banking facilities in 20,000 state Gram Panchayats to curb financial irregularities by self-help groups and money lenders. In the state, there are around 28,000 gram panchayats. Out them, 20,000 would have the e-banking facility, the government said recently.    For its implementation at the earliest, the State government is in the process of signing agreement with nationalised banks.    The State Rural Development Minister Jayant Patil said that with the the decision Maharashtra would become the first state in the country to provide the facility of e-banking in gram panchayats.    The Minister said that duping by money lenders, self-help groups and financial irregularities will be curbed and gram panchayats will become the centre of financial transactions. Out of the total 28,000 gram panchayats in the state, only 5,000-6,000 have branches of banks, a rural development department official said.