The South Canara District Central Cooperative (SCDCC) Bank inaugurated its 111th branch and mobile banking unit, at Manipal in Udupi district. Inaugurating the facilities and later addressing a convention of Nvodaya Self Help Group volunteers, Minister for Energy, Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar said the Government has gone the extra mile to economically empower women by announcing establishment of a women’s bank in the budget. The Chief Minister has also set apart ₹200 crore as the seed money for the bank, he said.

The Minister also congratulated SCDCC Bank chairman M.N. Rajendra Kumar for taking SCDCC Bank to new heights. Mr Rajendra Kumar by establishing the Navodaya SHGs has empowered women in a big way, he added. MLA Raghupathi Bhat said though there was demand for a separate DCC Bank for Udupi district, the same appears not reasonable at a time when banks were getting merged. The Chief Minister has agreed to extend the zero percent interest loan to fisher women to cooperative societies too.

Fifty nine members of cooperatives whose family members died of COVID-19 were given ₹1 lakh compensation on the occasion. Mr. Rajendra Kumar handed over ₹25 lakh cheque to Uchchila Sri Mahalakshmi Temple renovation committee president G. Shankar as bank’s contribution.