Srinagar, September 18:  While upholding its commitment to provide hassle free service to its customers irrespective of their locations, J&K Bank in its first ever hard area recruitment drive, has issued appointment orders to 209 candidates as Banking Associates yesterday.

J&K State Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, during a public rally at Khilani in Bhaderwah, has appreciated the role of the J&K Bank in focussing on backward areas both in terms of extending banking services as well as making special efforts for recruitments from these areas. He hailed the bank for issuing appointment orders to over 200 candidates of these hard areas as Banking Associates. A few months back, the bank had invited applications for the position of Banking Associates from eligible candidates belonging to hard areas including Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri, Poonch, Kupwara, Daver Gurez and some pockets of Udhampur. Around 2200 candidates had applied for the positions and about 600 candidates had qualified for interview.

It is interesting to note that highly qualified candidates, which include MBAs, Ph.ds, M.phils, MCAs, MScs are among the selected candidates. Some appointees are agriculture and sericulture graduates, whose services shall be utilized for tapping the potential of agribusiness and allied activities in these hard areas. Through this manpower, the bank shall be positioned to cater to the needs of the local economy in a better way and there will be overall improvement in the customer service.