J&K Bank steps up relief initiatives, customers most important stakeholders: CMD

Srinagar: The bank’s Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Rajesh Kumar Chhibber Friday took a review of the functioning of the bank in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the wake of Covid-19. Addressing the Zonal Heads, Cluster Heads and Lead District Managers in an online review meeting the CMD directed the senior management team of the bank to ensure sufficient availability of cash at all Business Units as well as ATMs for customer convenience besides underlining the need of regular sanitization of all financial touchpoints.
Emphasizing the role of Lead District Managers in strengthening liaison between the local administration and banks, the CMD said that such outreach would be highly effective in overcoming the challenges put forth by this pandemic. “A close co-ordination with the district administrations, police officials and other departments would also be required to streamline the process”, he said.
The CMD underscored the importance of providing hassle-free payment to all women Jan Dhan account holders whose accounts have been credited with the first instalment of Rs 500 as part of the recently announced Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana. The CMD also exhorted the team to extend overdraft facility to the Jan Dhan Yojna accounts holders as envisaged by the Lieutenant Governor of J&K UT.
“We have to implement a systematic approach to ensure that the benefits are passed to the eligible account holders in a manner that are in line with the government. While extending these services we have to ensure social distancing, and strictly following other instructions issued from time to time to control the spread of the contagion”, the CMD asserted.
While expressing satisfaction over the performance of the employees of the bank during these testing times, the CMD put on record appreciation conveyed by the UT administrations of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to the bank for ensuring uninterrupted services to the general public besides donating an amount of Rs 5 crore and 51 lacs respectively. The CMD also hailed the general public for adhering to the instructions issued for their safety and well-being.
“The administrations of UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have highly appreciated the gesture shown by the employees of the bank for exhibiting unflinching dedication to the service of the general public besides donating their three days’ salary towards fighting COVID-19 besides Such reassuring compliments from the major stakeholder strengthen our beliefs and spur us to move ahead in these challenging situations”, said the CMD
Stating that pension had been credited timely to the accounts of the general pensioners, he also reiterated the bank’s commitment to extend relief measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India to the customers which, he said, are the most important stakeholders. Bank has already approved 10% additional working capital to those borrowers whose cash flows have been effected by the Covid-19 problem.
Meanwhile, upping its efforts to help mitigate the problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh, Zonal Heads have been authorised to distribute ration to the poor and needy people in case there are such cases with dire need. Similarly Cluster Heads have also been advised to provide masks to the poor and needy people visiting Business Units.