Shillong Apr 27: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma said that in many rural areas of the Northeast including Meghalaya, the absence of manpower in banks posed a real hindrance for the people and urge bank officials to ensure adequate manpower in rural branches to cater to the needs of the people.
Addressing the 16th Annual General Conference of SBI SC/ST Employees Association (SEWA) at Nehu Auditorium on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that if banks across the Northeast have adequate manpower, it would be a contribution for the social empowerment of indigenous people of the region.
Around 42 per cent work force of the SBI in the Northeast include SC/ST employees.
“In many rural areas of Northeast including Meghalaya, the absence of manpower in the banks poses a real hindrance for the people. I would like to urge the SBI officials to ensure that adequate manpower is accorded to rural branches of the banks that would cater to the needs of our people,†he said.
Assuring to work for the welfare of SC/ST employees at different platforms, he told the SBI officials to also ensure that indigenous people of the region were also given priority when they apply for loans to start entrepreneurial ventures especially deserving indigenous people of the region who approached the banks to set up their own ventures.
He said that banks should help, assist and guide them and banks should be in a position to take calculative risk to help the young boys and girls, so that they are able to pursue their passion to start up entrepreneurial activities.
Sangma also said that the Meghalaya government has started a number of initiatives to promote entrepreneurship in the State and is also likely to start incubation centre to promote music and art.
Informing that a number of youth in Meghalaya have talents in the field of photography, but they were just doing it for passion due to absence of guidance and a platform, though such group of people should find a space to use their talent to earn a living for themselves.
Urging the officials of the banks to have “purpose driven†mindset, he said, “It should be an incumbent responsibility on all of us to have the attitude to work an extra mile, so that we are able to achieve the desired goal.â€
During the programme, the Chief Minister also paid floral tribute to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and the champion of the SC/ST communities.
Among others who attended the meeting included Sunil Kumar Tandon, the Chief General Manager and General Managers of SBI North East Circle, Digmanu Gupta and Ajoy Kumar Singh, R.P. Singh, National President of All India Federation of SBI, DGMs and AGMs of different banks from the region.
