Service to the nation

To educate people about financial products and services, debt management and help indebted people to come out of their problems, United Bank of India in collaboration with Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir (RKMSSSM), Belur Math, Howrah set up a Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling Centre (FLCC) on the premises of RKMSSSM, Belur Math, Howrah recently. The FLCC will provide these services free of cost.

Swami Divyanandaji Maharaj, secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Saradapith, Belur Math inaugurated the programme in the presence of Bhaskar Sen, CMD, United Bank Of India; PK Roy, General Manager, United Bank of India; Anindita Bhattacherjee, Deputy General Manager, RBI and other senior dignitaries from Nabard and government.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhaskar Sen, informed that United Bank of India with 81 per cent of its branches located in eastern and northeastern states has been playing a significant role in financial inclusion of eastern and northeastern parts of the country having sizeable number of excluded people from the banking fold.  Sen expressed is gratitude to the Ramakrishna Mission for providing all logistic supports to set up the FLCC. He further informed that the bank has set up eight FLCCs of which four are in West Bengal. Besides, UBI has set up 10 rural self-employment training institutions to impart free training to the unemployed rural youth, women and the weaker sections of the society to enable them to be self-employed.  Swami Divyanandaji Maharaj said poverty and unemployment are the main reasons for rise of insurgency in different parts of the country. “Though our economy has been growing fast, the benefits of the growth are not equitably distributed among all sections of the society,” he observed. Swamiji opined that creating employment opportunities and linking the excluded people with the formal banking channel are the needs of the hour and that FLCC should play an important role in this direction. He further informed that Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikhan Mandir has been running a RUDSETI type institute jointly with United Bank of India and NABARD for creating employment opportunities by providing skill and entrepreneurship development training to the rural unemployed youth. He appreciated United Bank of India for extending loan to the trainees on completion of training to set up their own venture. PK Roy, in his deliberation, informed that the bank will set up more Rural Self-Employment Training Institutions and FLCCs in eastern and northeastern parts of the country.

The Pioneer