Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 27 Sept: Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), inaugurated four new branches of Uttarakhand Gramin Bank in the city on Saturday. While the branch located at Krishali Chowk on Sahastradhara Road was inaugurated in person, the other three branches—Chamyala branch in Tehri district, Lalpur Nayak branch in Nainital district, and Naugaon Khal branch in Pauri district—were inaugurated virtually. He himself opened a bank account with Uttarakhand Gramin Bank, thereby expressing his trust and support for the institution.
In his address, the Governor said that banks are not merely instruments of financial transactions, but pillars of development and trust. He stated that banks safeguard the hard-earned savings of society and reinvest them into production and progress. He emphasised that rural banks play a crucial role in strengthening the rural economy and connecting people with formal banking services.
Commending the achievements of Uttarakhand Gramin Bank, the Governor said that the bank is emerging as a strong foundation for rural development, women empowerment, and self-reliance. At present, nearly 20 per cent of the state’s population is benefiting from the services of the rural bank. He especially appreciated the bank’s efforts in supporting Self-Help Groups and promoting green energy initiatives. He expressed confidence that the bank would continue to bring prosperity to the lives of the people of Uttarakhand through innovation and service-oriented commitment.
Lt Gen Singh further said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several transformative changes have taken place in the field of financial inclusion. Schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar-enabled banking, mobile banking, and digital transactions have revolutionised the financial landscape. He added that India is currently the world’s fourth-largest economy and is rapidly progressing towards becoming the third-largest, with significant contributions from the banking and digital payment systems.
The Governor also visited the stalls displaying products made by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) set up within the Krishali Chowk branch premises and interacted with women entrepreneurs to learn about their products.
Present on the occasion were NABARD CGM RO Dehradun Pankaj Yadav, RBI Regional Director Dehradun Arvind Kumar, UGB Chairman Hari Har Patnaik, SBI Corporate Centre Mumbai General Manager Prakash Chandra Baror, GM Amita Raturi and other dignitaries.
