Apex Bank to reopen on August 2: Arunachal CM

Itanagar, Jul 16: About 65,000 account holders of Arunachal Pradesh State Cooperative Apex Bank have reasons to cheer with Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu today announcing its reopening from August 2 next.

Speaking at a function here yesterday, where he received two ambulances from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Assam Oil division) for the underdeveloped Kurung Kumey district, Mr Khandu said that the revival could be possible with the special dispensation of the Centre to facilitate NHPC to pay Rs 225 crore advance royalty.

The poor customers of the bank had suffered a lot while at least 42 people had reportedly died for the sick bank's failure to honour demands for withdrawal for their treatment, he disclosed.

A committee headed by deputy commissioner of each district and comprising ministers, MLAs, panchayat leaders would oversee the payment procedure, he added.

Appreciating the IOC for its noble gesture, the chief minister also lauded MP Kiren Rijiju for his initiative to get the ambulance sanctioned. Rijiju deserves all praises for the good works he has been doing in the greater interest of the state.

''Many opportunities are coming and we have to work unitedly to grasp them,'' he said referring to a proposed meeting in September next with the Prime Minister, defence minister, finance minister and deputy chairman of plaaning commission to finalize a major border road project to benefit this lan-locked state.

''The people of the district have to shoulder greater responsibility for speedy development of Kurung Kumey, which has been getting his special attention all through,'' Mr Rijiju said while appreciating IOL as a global giant with assets worth billion.

Local MLA Lokam Tasar urged IOL to open a depot at Koloring to remove the suffering of the remote district bordering China.

IOL chief administrative manager T C Sharma informed that the ambulances were sanctioned under the community development programme as commitment of corporate responsibility towards the society.This could be possible with Mr Rijiju, member of cabinet committee of ministry of petroleum and natural gas, taking up it with the CMD.

UNI