LEH: While Jammu and Kashmir Bank has remained the bank to go for the people of Ladakh, a number of other banks have been trying to make inroads in the cold desert, after the region was made a union territory, three years ago.
On Thursday, a delegation from State Bank of India (SBI) led by General Manager, SBI Chandigarh Ajay Kumar Jha meet LG Brigadier B D Mishra and discussed with him the bank’s plan to emerge as a stronger player in Ladakh’s banking sector.
Jha requested the LG to provide an additional option to employees of Ladakh to choose between J&K Bank and SBI Bank for their salary account.
“The SBI would provide customised products for employees of Ladakh. Also, the SBI has increased the accidental insurance coverage from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh,” Jha informed the LG.
Jha also requested the LG to consider SBI for financing new business projects under the Industrial Policy in Ladakh, said an official handout from Raj Bhavan.
“Jha informed the LG that SBI has opened seven more branches in Ladakh and now has 25 branches across Ladakh in almost all the blocks of the region. He also informed about the plan to open another SBI branch at Garkone. He further informed about his visit to Hanley to check the feasibility of opening an SBI branch at Hanley as they don’t have any branch of the bank after Nyoma,” said the handout.
The LG commended SBI for providing banking facilities to the people in all the blocks of Ladakh and assured to look into their demands.
Jha was accompanied by Regional Manager, RBO V, Jammu, Sushil Kumar Hans and Assistant General Manager, SBI, Tsering Morup.
It may be mentioned that last week, a delegation led by Rajat Soni of HDFC Bank had also met the LG in New Delhi.
The LG inquired of the possible support from HDFC bank in achieving saturation for financial inclusion in the UT of Ladakh, an official spokesman had informed.
Meanwhile, a delegation from TSG block of Kargil led by Vice-President, BJP Unit TSG Block, Ahmad Hussain, also called on Lieutenant Governor and raised several issues related to Faroona & Saliskote villages, viz. the need for the construction of a tunnel for the diversion of Drass River near Dandal village for generating electricity for lighting purposes, for irrigating agricultural lands in the summer and for executing various other hydroelectric power projects in Kargil district; the need for construction of road from Dandal to Faroona Saliskote to reduce travelling time, etc.
Ahmad also raised other issues, including the upgradation of Govt High School at Saliskote to Govt Higher Secondary School; filling up the vacant posts of the medical staff at New-Type Primary Health Centre (NT-PHC) at Saliskote; the need to establish a Zonal Education Office with its headquarter at Saliskote; the need for a bi-directional tunnel across Lasar La connecting Dandal to Saliskote; the need for upgradation of NT-PHC at Trespone to Primary Health Centre (PHC); the need for establishing a new Police Station or relocate the earlier Police Station at Trespone, etc. HLG assured to look into the matter.
