ITANAGAR, Aug 19 - The first ever all-women banking institution � the women branch of the state-owned Co-operative Apex Bank � has been opened in Arunachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has inaugurated the new facility at Naharlagun on Tuesday.
The fully computerised branch of Arunachal�s lone banking institution came two years after the state�s first women police station was set up at Itanagar in 2013. The bank branch will be manned only by women employees.
Besides other banking facilities, the branch would also offer lockers to women customers for safe custody of their valuable assets like ornaments, documents, traditional belongings, etc.
Congratulating the Apex Bank, the Chief Minister termed it as another stepping stone towards empowerment of women of the state. He called upon the officers and staff of the bank to ensure efficient and friendly customer services to boost its popularity and strength.
Calling the bank as �People�s Bank�, he called for establishing more women branches and extend loans to women as they are more sincere in loan repayment.
�Women self-help groups should be mobilised all over the state with the support of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) so that the women folks who are the backbone of the society are encouraged,� Tuki said.
He lauded the Apex Bank for successfully facilitating implementation of state government�s flagship programmes such as Chief Minister�s Paryatan Vikas Yojana, Chief Minister�s Agri-Mechanisation Programme, etc. through subsidies. To the cheers of the bank employees, he announced that various subsidies cum loan schemes of the state government aimed at generating employment for youths would be routed through the Apex Bank.
Emphasising on the bank�s role in offering banking solutions to the people, the Chief Minister said that the government will continue to support by providing guarantee to National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) for mobilisation of resources at lower interest for the BPL families and the weaker section.
Tuki also lauded the state-owned bank for introducing the micro ATM, which he observed would be a game changer as even illiterate customers would be able to avail facilities like withdrawal, depositing and transfer of funds from remote places. To mark the occasion, Tuki also opened a savings account for his mother with the newly opened branch, besides launching the bank�s website.
