Port Blair, Dec 13: A & N State Cooperative Bank Ltd. has organized its 7th function at Dairy farm Community Hall on distribution of Cooperative Cards for Door Delivery of Pensions to Old Age, Widow & Handicapped Persons on 13th December, 2012 in presence of dignitaries from Govt. Departments, PRI Members, Eminent leaders, Villagers, Senior Citizens, SHG members, and Media persons etc. While welcoming the Chief guests and other dignitaries and gatherings, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Vice Chairman of ANS Cooperative Bank has briefed the activities of Bank.
On the issue of introducing the door to door delivery of pension, Sharma has stated that the elderly, widowed and handicapped personnel who had to come to Bank so many times to get their pension had to pay transportation charges out of their meager pension amount of Rs 1000/- apart from taking trouble to reach to Banks. Sharma has also stated that the Bank is trying to introduce a scheme to start free coaching classes for the poor children with the help of trained but unemployed teachers.
With introducing this scheme, while these children will get value added education, some unemployed teachers will also get employment. He then has requested to the Chief Guest Mr. Satish Mathur to influence his office for enhancing the pension amount for which he had already approached to the Lt Governor and renewed his request of enhancing it from Rs. 1000/- to Rs 5000/- in place of his previous request of enhancing it from Rs. 1000/- to Rs 3000/- per month. Giving reasons behind such enhancement, Sharma has stated that the minimum wages which the AN Administration has granted to its workmen is much higher than that of the current pension.
Sharma, giving the pathetic conditions of these personnel has stated that this community also belongs to our society and they have also the right to lead a peaceful and secured life. The General Manager Mr. S Athirstavel, NABARD and Senior Citizen Mrs Shanta Laxman Singh have also, in their brief speech, praised the activities of the Bank. The Chairman of the Bank Mr. Bhagat Singh has appreciated the efforts of the Board of Directors, officers and staff of the Bank for their selfless services to the people, especially the hapless people of the islands. He has stated by January 2013 he is expecting core banking system to be introduced and very shortly the Bank will get Scheduled status. Mr. Singh stressed upon for more Cooperatives and Self Help Groups in these islands to overcome the unemployment problem since there is no or very less opportunity of employment prevail in this era.
Mr. Satish Mathur, Secretary to the Lt Governor has graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his speech Mr. Mathur has praised the effort of Chairman and his team of ANS Cooperative Bank to serve the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands using the latest technology. He has also appreciated the efforts of door to door delivery of pension to the elderly, widowed and handicapped personnel through Cooperative Cards and also introducing door to door banking facilities. He has stated that this facility will be beneficial to all these personnel who are the assets of the Society.
Referring the request of Kuldeep Rai Sharma to the Lt Governor for enhancing the pension benefit, Mr. Mathur has told that
Lt Governor has taken up the matter with the concerned department and the order of enhancement of pension is likely to be issued very soon, but the amount of such enhancement is not known to him. Among others PB Murugan, Chairman, Municipal Council, Smti Abola Sammaddar, Chairperson, Zilla Parishad, Ghayas Meshak, Vice Chairman, ANS Cooperative Union, R V Reddy, Chairman, CCS, PRI members Smti Varalaxmi and Smti P Bharathi , Biswarup Banerjee, Vice Chairman ANCOFED, Ram Lall, General Secretary, ANSCU were also present in the function. Mr. Ravinder Rao, the Managing Director has proposed vote of thanks.
