Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today inaugurated the 31st Annual General Meeting of the State Bank of India’s Officers’ Association (North Eastern Circle) here.
Speaking to the gathering during the inaugural session, Sangma recalled the role of his late father, PA Sangma, in bringing the SBI Regional Office from Kolkata to Guwahati and said that the banking sector is very crucial at the grassroots level to ensure that different programmes are implemented efficiently.
“The different programmes of the state and the central governments make it mandatory for the beneficiaries to have bank accounts, therefore it is very crucial that banks at the grassroots level are efficient for the implementation of the programmes,” he said. “We have faced multiple challenges as a government because of the absence of banks at the grassroots level in the implementation of various government programmes.”
He further urged the gathering to make SBI more colorful and vibrant by bringing in innovation, passion and care to its service, which will bring a sense of satisfaction to customers.
“State Bank of India has the capacity to become a top global bank and you have the opportunity to make a difference in your organization by having a goal, a vision of making it a global player,” he told the gathering.
SBI workers are adamant against any move to privatise the bank and Sangma told them that it is important to discuss ideas, innovations and ways that public sector banks can compete with private players.
“State Bank of India has such a brand name, so much of trust and experience, and a large scale network that it can take on anybody but it is the internal innovation and improvements in many areas that needs to be thought about in such meetings and shared with each other,” he added.
He also urged the banks to work in collaboration with the state governments and assured all assistance and support from the Meghalaya government to ensure that banking services reach out even to the remotest places in the state.
