 Early Times Report
Katra, Apr 27: J&K Bank Chairman and MD R K Chhibber today had a detailed interaction with the representatives of Hotel and amp; Restaurant Association, Katra (HRAK) and Federation of Hotels, Restaurants, Industries and Commerce of Jammu Region (FHRICJR) led by its Chairman Rakesh Wazir in Katra.
The meeting was attended by the Bank’s Zonal Head Anokh Singh, Cluster Head Udhampur Sanjeev Kumar, and Head BU Katra Dherraj Sharma besides President Municipal Committee,Katra Bimal Indu, former president HRAK Shiv Kumar Sharma, Block Development Chairmen(BDC) Katra, Sham Lal and BDC Panthel Chander Mohan, Arun Sharma, Rakesh Sharma,Sohan Lal, Anil Kumar etc.
Commenting upon the relationship between the hotel industry and J&K bank, Rakesh Wazir said that both have a historic bond and most of the hotels and business activities at Katra have been financed by the Bank.
However, he asserted, soon after the Covid19 pandemic badly affected the Yatra to holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi last year, the Bank came to the rescue of the hospitality industry by extending help through various tailored schemes like Business Support Loan as well as GECL1.0 and GECL2.0.
Requesting the CMD to extend the helping hand further and provide financial help to the Katra Town’s business sector - solely linked with Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra - that has again been effected due to the second-wave of Covid Pandemic, he said, “There is a need for waiver of interest during the Covid period besides increase in further moratorium period of the existing loans as the current situation has increased the financial difficulties and cash-flow mismatches.”
While giving a very patient hearing to the viewpoints of all the participants, Chairman & MD R K Chhibber asserted that tourism is the backbone of J&K economy and the bank shall provided every help, and assistance to Tourism and Hotel Industry.
He acknowledged the fact that the Tourism Sector in general and Hotels in Katra and other Tourist spots of the Union Territory of J&K in particular were worst sufferers due to the ongoing pandemic.
“J&K Bank shall continue to stand with the business community during the current crisis as we have stood by our customers in every thick and”, he asserted. |
