Former SBI chairman chronicles 40 years with the largest PSB

Kolkata, July 13 (UNI) Former State Bank of India (SBI) chairman P G Kakodkar announced the release of his autobiography ''My 40 years with SBI'' here today.

The book, to be formally released by another former chairman of the country's largest public sector bank D N Ghosh here tomorrow, offers rare insights into the anals of the history of the 200-year-old bank.

The book also chronicled the performance of the bank during the emergency and the challenges it faced in the wake of the largest financial scam by Harshad Mehta, which had jolted the people's faith in the banking industry as a whole.

''I have devoted an entire chapter in the 545-page-book dealing with this aspect,'' said Mr Kakodkar while speaking to newspersons.

Making a comparative study between the situation faced by the bank during his tenure and the present era of acquisition and merger of different public sector banks, Mr Kakodkar was confident that the SBI would be able to withstand the pressure in the future course of international banking as it has done in the last several decades.

He said he had also fondly remembered his two-year stint in Kolkata as the general manager, finance and planning and had amply reflected those feelings in another chapter entitled ''O Calcutta''.

The book published by The Goan Observer Private Ltd cost Rs 350.

UNI ABA TJP AK BD1904