Excelsior Correspondent
![Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather and J&K Bank Chairman Mushtaq Ahmed releasing Coffee Table book on the growth of bank in a function at Jammu on Friday.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/page35.jpg)
JAMMU, Jan 3:After nearly year long celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee of J&K Bank, a concluding function was held here this evening at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium in the Jammu University. N.N. Vohra, Governor, was the chief guest, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister presided over the function and Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs was the guest of honour.
A Coffee Table book on the growth of the J&K Bank since its inception was unveiled by Governor Vohra and other dignitaries.
Congratulating the Chairman, the State Government and the management of the Bank on the occasion of Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Governor complimented the Bank for progressively enlarging the scale of quality financial services and providing high satisfaction to all its customers.
The Governor thanked the Bank for the valuable help it provides to the Chief Executive Officers of both the Mata Vaishno Devi and the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board for the registration of the pilgrims and fund management of the Boards. He hoped that, in the coming time, the Bank would do much more for advancing the growth of agriculture and horticulture, food processing, establishment of cold chain and other activities, throughout the State, as this would greatly contribute to employment generation.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister, asked the Jammu and Kashmir Bank to rollout a vision of achieving new goals and touching new highs in the next 25 years of its journey towards centenary year in the service of people.
Congratulating J&K Bank for its success story of growth and development during the last 75 years, Omar Abdullah said that the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Bank provide an opportunity to its Management to dream and outline a vision for the march of the Bank in next 25 years.
“You have to think of laying national and international footprints and rollout a vision for the futuristic goals and objectives for the Bank right now so that the Bank would move ahead accordingly and achieve the targets to be fixed for the centenary year to celebrate”, the Chief Minister said and added that the growth story of achievements of the Bank has been appreciable and praise worthy but it is not enough that the Bank will rest on laurels it has achieved because in the story of growth and achievements there is no fixed high point. He asked the Bank to continue its march on roads to progress and development with commitment and added enthusiasm under a visionary document of development and public service to be put in place now for the next 25 years.
The Chief Minister also emphasized the need for identifying and fixing short term targets particularly for lending in the priority sectors including agriculture, entrepreneurship development, small farmers, traders, artisans, young persons, etc. He asked the Bank also to realize the goals and targets in corporate sector social responsibilities and maintain the CD ratio.
Omar Abdullah extended best wishes to the Bank and hoped that it will achieve more and more strength in the coming years. The Chief Minister also appreciated the newly designed New Year Calendar of the Bank focusing on J&K Handicrafts Sector.
The Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather while speaking on the occasion congratulated the Bank for its growth story. He highlighted the progress of the J&K Bank in various fields of its activities and also identified some areas where the Bank needs to further upgrade its activities.
The Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Mushtaq Ahmed in his welcome address presented the historical journey of the Bank and its progress and development during the last 75 years. He also mentioned the Bank’s role in the upliftment and growth of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir.
Present on the occasion among others were Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Minister for CAPD, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and Minister for Law, Mir Saifullah.