Continuing its massive expansion plan far and wide in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, J&K Bank today dedicated two more business units to the people at Shoolipora and Waterhel, Budgam. With this, the business unit network of the bank has gone up to 618 with 506 business units in J&K alone.
While business unit at Shoolipora was inaugurated by Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister of Finance & Ladakh Affairs in presence Aga Syed Ruhullah, Minister for Technology and Sheep & Animal Husbandary and Mushtaq Ahmad, Chairman & CEO, J&K Bank, business unit at Waterhel was inaugurated by Abdul Rahim Rather in presence of Mushtaq Ahmad, Chairman & CEO, J&K Bank.
Apart from hundreds of people, others present on the occasion included Bashir Ahmad Lone, Bank's President & Zonal Head for Kashmir Central, Viqar-ul-Milk Nazki, Bank's Vice President, Khursheed Ahmad, DDC Budgam, Mohammad Yaqoob, Lead District Manager, Abdul Hamid Khan, Bank's Cluster Head and M A Wanchoo, Bank's Incharge for Marketing.
In his presidential address, the finance minister, Abdul Rahim Rather hailed the contribution of Mushtaq Ahmad for taking the bank to new heights with special focus on creatively-crafted network expansion plan.
"J&K Bank's performance during the last two, under the dynamic leadership of its present Chairman, Mushtaq Ahmad, has been phenomenal. The bank is on an ambitious growth path pursuing a strategically innovative business model with special impetus on financial inclusion through massive network expansion", Rather said.
Opening business units in such remote and difficult to access areas with seemingly no significant potential is indeed a bold decision for it is always accompanied by risk but bank's able leadership has amply demonstrated as to how big business is done in small localities, he added.
Asking people to avail various banking facilities, he urged them to invest the bank advances in productive ventures to ensure individual economic empowerment and collective growth and prosperity.
Ruhullah, in his speech, thanked chairman and management of the bank for their efforts to take banking facilities to the doorsteps of people in remote and backward areas.
Describing J&K Bank as a facilitator of J&K state's growth and prosperity, he expressed hope that bank would continue its endeavour of facilitating economic empowerment at grassroot level.
Mushtaq Ahmad in his address described J&K Bank as a torch bearer of peoples' economic aspirations in J&K. "J&K Bank, being the torchbearer of peoples' financial aspirations in J&K, is at the centre of the process of economic revival that J&K state is witnessing over the last few years", he said .
Thanking Chief Minister and Finance Minister for their guidance and patronage, Chairman assured the gathering bank's unflinching commitment to continue to act as the driving force for economic transformation of the state at all levels.
Stating that J&K Bank was a financial dispensary for people of J&K, Chairman said that bank's massive reach, ever-increasing network and customized financial solutions were sure to change the economic fortunes of the people, provided banking is understood and done in its real sense.
"Organizing of financial literacy camps, institution of Financial Literacy Centres and RSETIs is part of bank's plan to serve and assist the people wholistically in all steps and at all levels", he said, adding, bank's Corporate Social Responsibility places Financial Inclusion at the top with an ambitious idea of making banking facilities penetrate every household of the state.
Chairman revealed the bank's plan to add 100 more branches and 155 ATMs to its network during the current fiscal.