Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 22: While recognizing sluggish market conditions taking its toll in the banking industry in the country and calling fluctuations in profitability as a routine business norm, the shareholders of the J&K Bank appreciated the performance of the bank during the past one year.
The shareholders of the bank had assembled here today at 77th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank’s shareholders. Among other things, two new directors were appointed and a dividend payment of 210 percent to its share owners was approved at the meeting.
Commissioner Secretary, Finance Naveen Kumar Chaudhary represented the State Government, which is the major stake-holder in the bank, at the AGM that took place here in a jam-packed SKICC auditorium. Share holders of the bank belonging to different walks of life attended the meeting.
In his key-note address the Bank’s Chairman and CEO, Mushtaq Ahmad thanked the shareholders for their continued support in ‘one of the most challenging years in recent times’. He said, ” Throughout the year we were confronted with numerous impediments and uncertainties. However, with your unwavering support, we succeeded in navigating safely through this turbulence.”
He recollected the disproportionately sharp increase in stressed assets in the Indian Banking System and the situation created by the devastating floods of September, 2014 in J&K as the most daunting challenges of the last financial year.
However, he reassured the audience that the Q1 results for the year FY 2015-16 are largely in line with our expectations as is manifested by an increase of 22 percent in net profit. The banks is expecting significant improvement in net income and asset quality, he added.
About the zonal re-organisation in J&K, he said, ” We have undertaken a major re-organization of our Zonal set-up in the J&K State by setting up four additional business zones. This step was necessitated by a manifold increase in business and geographical spread of the bank and also the increased competitiveness in the industry. I believe this step shall infuse operational efficiency and will be of great benefit to our customers.”
Company Secretary Abdul Majid Bhat read out the auditors’ report and business agenda of the meeting.
Later, Chairman of the Bank declared the e-voting results wherein the resolutions were approved by the shareholders. All the resolutions were approved by vast majority of the votes.
At the AGM, Abdul Majid Mir and Azhar- ul- Amin were appointed as two new directors as per the resolutions approved with overwhelming majority, while as M Ibrahim Shahdad retired from the Board.
Abdul Majid Mir is former Executive Director of the bank who functioned as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank. The AGM witnessed a lively question-answer session. All the questions raised in the session were promptly responded to by the Chairman.
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