Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Dec 7: "A grand silver jubilee celebration will be held in Nehru Maidan of Mangaluru on January 19, 2019 to
celebrate the completion of 25 years of presidentship of South Canara District Central Co-Operative (SCDCC) bank by Dr M N Rajendra Kumar. The programme will be inaugurated by Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala. H D Kumaraswamy, chief minister of the state will felicitate Dr Rajendra Kumar. D V Sadananda Gowda will preside over the function. More than two lac people are expected to participate in this event," said Aikalabava Devi Prasad Shetty, president of Sahakari Ratna Dr M N Rajendra Kumar felicitation committee.

Devi Prasad Shetty was speaking at a press conference that was held at Hotel Parijata of the town on Thursday, December 6.

Giving further details, Devi Prasad said, "Dr M N Ranjendra Kumar is completing 25 years as the president of SCDCC bank on January 19, 2019. This is the first instance in the whole country that the same person has served as the president of district central co-operative bank continuously for a period of 25 years. So all the cooperative organizations of the undivided district of Dakshina Kannada have decided to celebrate the silver jubilee celebration of the presidentship of Dr Rajendra Kumar, who has given unmatched contribution to the cooperative sector."

"On January 18, 2019, a national level seminar pertaining to the cooperative sector will be held on the auditorium of the
SCDCC bank as a prelude to the silver jubilee celebration. National level icons of cooperative sectors will take part in
this seminar. On January 19, 2019, in the programme that will be held at Nehru Maidan, more than two lac people belonging to cooperative sector and self-service associations of the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga and Kodagu will participate. A felicitation committee and various sub-committees are formed, which include the cooperative leaders of coast, to organize the event," added Devi Prasad Shetty.

Devi Prasad Shetty further said, "Rajendra Kumar has successfully implemented the concept of banking for the city-based
and rural people, by shaping SCDCC bank in par with the nationalized banks through the use of unique technology. He is
leading the bank since 1994 and made this customer-friendly through the introduction of various inventive schemes. After Rajendra Kumar assumed presidentship of SCDCC bank, the bank since the last 19 years has continuously bagged the award as the best district central cooperative bank in the state of Karnataka from the Karnataka state cooperative Apex Bank. In addition, it has secured the NABARD award continuously since the last 17 years."

"When Dr Rajendra Kumar assumed the presidentship of SCDCC bank, the bank had only 25 branches and a deposit of Rs 64 crores. The outstanding loan amount of the bank was Rs 46 crores and the profit was a mere Rs 42 lacs. Today the bank has 105 branches and the deposit is swollen to Rs 3,561.24 crore. The bank has given advances amounting to Rs 2,778.30 and the total business is worth Rs 6,748.84 crores. The bank has made a profit of Rs 28.60 crores," said Devi Prasad Shetty.

Devi Prasad Shetty also said, "Dr Rajendra Kumar has been the inspirational power to the development of rural women by the introduction of Navodaya Grama Viakasa Charitable Trust. The Vicennial celebration of the implementation of this project also will be held at the same time. A permanent cooperative museum will be established to make the silver jubilee celebration immemorial. The development of the cooperative sector right from the founder Molahalli Shivarao till date will be recorded in this museum. A committee of experts is formed for establishing this museum. In addition, there are projects of establishing cooperative hospital, medical college and cooperative IT centre also."

A taluk level felicitation committe for the silver jubilee celebration was formed during the event. Manjaiah Shetty
Sabladi, president of C A Bank, Vandse was elected as the convener. S Prakashchandra Shetty, president of farmers' service cooperative society, Kambadakone was elected as the co-convener.