Report: Himanshu Joshi
Pithoragarh. The last branch of State Bank of India is in Gunji, adjacent to the China border in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. This branch opens only for 4 to 5 months in a year due to weather. Now with time a lot is changing in Gunji as well. Because of which the people here need a bank throughout the year. This bank, which operates in a hut, operates only for 4 to 5 months in the summer season. With the help of this bank, Mansarovar travelers as well as traders involved in Indo-China trade get cash. Currently both are closed.
This is the only bank on the Lipulekh motorway after Dharchula. Due to not being connected to the internet, this branch is not able to provide the services to the consumers, which are needed by the people here. The bank branch has its own server connected to the satellite so that the transactions are not affected here. Here three employees are posted in the bank, who return to Dharchula after the month of October and join the branch there. He lives in a rented house in Gunji. This time this last bank on the Indian border will remain open from the beginning of June till the end of October.
Local resident Nrip Singh Garbyal told that all the facilities are not available in this last bank on the border. In case of bank closure, the people here have to go to Dharchula. Describing the problems here, he has also demanded to keep it open throughout the year.
Now the need for a permanent bank
Apart from Gunji, the villages of Nabhi, Napalchuy, Kuti, Ronkang, Garbyang are directly connected to this bank. Not only this, apart from the employees of BRO, this bank also provides service to the soldiers of Army, ITBP and SSB. There was a time when the dependence of the people on the bank was very less, but today, from the security personnel to the local people, the need for a permanent bank is felt throughout the year.
Digital service expected to start
Gunji and its neighboring villagers live in high areas only for 6 months, but the soldiers deployed in the security of the border have to be present here all the time. In such a situation, the need for banking now remains throughout the year in this last village of India. It should be expected that after connecting with the road, digital banking service will start soon in these areas adjacent to China as well for the whole year.
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Tags: indo china border, Pithoragarh News, SBI Bank, Uttarakhand news
FIRST PUBLISHED : April 20, 2023, 18:30 IST
