Our reporter
Dimapur, April 8 (EMN): The objective of a bank should be to serve the people but unfortunately in the context of Nagaland, in many cases, the customers end up requesting and begging the banks to provide services, reminded Bendangtula Jamir, Additional Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Nagaland.
Jamir was speaking at the 52nd annual general meeting of Nagaland State Cooperative Bank Ltd. (NStCB) on Friday at the head office conference hall in Dimapur.
She asserted that with commercial and private banks vying to get maximum customers, cooperative banks should take extra efforts to provide better and customer-friendly services. She said that NStCB may not have better equipment and technology but it can be courteous, hospitable and friendly.
Jamir reminded the gathering that “customers do not need banks but banks need customers”. NStCB has some structural changes and is progressing but ‘we cannot be complacent and much more need to be done to accomplish the vision and mission, with which the bank was up to’, she added.
She informed that the NStCB was conceived with the twin objective of putting in place a banking system that encompasses the co-operative principles and also a financial system that is friendly to the customs and traditions of the people of Nagaland.
Tiakala, GM (OIC) NABARD, RO Nagaland, said that NStCB has come a long way since its inception in November 1966. Today, the bank has one of the largest banking networks in the state with 22 branches spread across different districts of the state, she shared.
She mentioned that the bank has done tremendously well in the past few years, which is evident from the fact that it was able to wipe out the entire accumulated losses of close to INR 3,954 lakh as on March 31, 2015 and post surplus in the year 2020. She further suggested some ideas to strengthen the working of the bank, which included internal checks and controls, primary agricultural credit societies and human resource development. She also highlighted various support programmes extended by NABARD to the bank.
At the meeting, Voto Neikha was elected as the new Board of Director, and awards were given away to the best performing branches -- Tseminyu, Phek and Chumoukedima districts, and best performing SHGs and others.
Kekhwengulo Lea, Vice Chairman of NStCB, while presenting the performance of the bank, said that in the face of moderation in economic growth and competitive financial landscape, the bank could make a balanced growth in both business and earnings.