State Bank of Mysore officially becomes history

executive@coastaldigest.com (Agencies)
April 1, 2017

Bengaluru, Mar 31: March 31 is D-Day, but the boards at the landmark stone edifice at Mysore Bank Circle on Kempe Gowda Road started coming down two days earlier; as if symbolically on Ugadi — the lunar New Year’s Day.

sbm
And on Friday, the State Bank of Mysore will slide into history as the curtains come down on a 104-year-old legacy that had an old Mysore royal patronage to its credit. It will merge its identity into big brother State Bank of India forever.

Is it a big deal that a bank that keeps your money or lends it out is getting a new name?

S.R. Powar superannuated from the bank in February after 37 years of service. The feisty former general secretary of the SBM Employees’ Union could not hold back tears as he recalled that he was part of every fight by sections of employees to stave off the merger that was irreversibly sealed on August 18 last year. “It is the end of an era,” he said as he choked with emotion. “I never imagined that banks can die.”

Karnataka has spawned at least five nationalised banks, four of them from the Udupi-Manipal region and SBM from the old Mysore region. SBM, says Mr. Powar, may be a relatively small bank in terms of geographical spread and financial muscle, yet it is special as an institution that was built lovingly by notable founders. Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the then Maharaja of Mysore, donated a princely sum of ?42 lakh way back in 1913 as seed money for the bank and did not take it back. A renowned personality such as the then Dewan, Sir M. Visveswaraya, was another figure who helped conceive, build it and make it a household name.

SBM had a distinct flavour and a bond with its customers that goes beyond money transactions. Explains Mr. Powar: “People have had an intimate bond with the bank, they call it ‘our bank’ (namma bank or Mysoor bank). If you go to Chikkamagaluru, you can see a token of gratitude to the bank on the walls of virtually every coffee planter’s home. Back in the 1960s, many coffee planters in this belt were hit by serious financial crisis after the crop failed. They had no money. Mysore Bank officials went from home to home and gave them loans. The same is the case with small industries in Peenya. SBM has seen the thick and thin of industrial growth in Karnataka.”

From 1987 onwards, Mr. Powar says he was part of the resistance to merger plans. “It is always an advantage to have a bank with its headquarters in your State. Now these assets will go to Maharashtra. A bigger bank can always grow and globalise without [subsuming] a smaller bank.”

At the end of their day’s work, Giridhara Karkala, Chief General Manager and head of the Ganganagar branch, plans to join many SBM employees in Bengaluru who would be assembling on the head office premises at 5.30 p.m. on Friday. Mr. Karkala, who is due to complete his tenure in SBM in four months, says he is taking the impending change in his stride. Certainly, people who have worked for 20 plus years in the good old days of office camaraderie feel heavy hearted. “When I retire and go home, I will be taking back many happy memories of 37 years. Besides, I have been open to change and transfers.”

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News Network
May 8,2025

SofiaQuraishi.jpg

Belagavi: Colonel Sofia Qureshi who along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh presented the details of ‘Operation Sindoor’ is being hailed as the daughter-in-law of Karnataka’s Belagavi.

Qureshi's husband Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi is from Konnur town in Gokak taluk. He has been serving as a colonel in the Indian Army. They were married in 2015.

Qureshi is a native of Baroda in Gujarat, being married to Tajuddin has made her the daughter-in-law of Belagavi.

During a media meet at New Delhi on Wednesday, Qureshi had shared the details of the success of Operation Sindoor which was conducted in retaliation to the terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir.

Qureshi has also served in the UN peacekeeping force at Kangola. She has received great appreciation from General Officer Commanding for her work along the borders of Punjab and during the floods in North-East.

Presently Sofia has been posted at Jammu while her husband Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi at Jhanshi.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 15,2025

Bengaluru, May 15: The Karnataka Lokayukta police on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids across multiple districts, including Bengaluru and Mangaluru, targeting government officials suspected of possessing disproportionate assets (DA).

According to Lokayukta police, the raids were carried out on properties linked to seven government officials in Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Yadgir, Mangaluru, and Vijayapura districts.

The officials under the scanner are:

Murali T.V., Additional Director, Directorate of Urban and Rural Planning

H.R. Nataraj, Inspector, Legal Metrology, Bengaluru

Anant Kumar, Second Division Assistant, Taluk Office, Hoskote (Bengaluru Rural)

Rajshekar, Project Director, Nirmiti Kendra, Tumakuru

Manjunath, Survey Supervisor, Dakshina Kannada (Mangaluru)

Renuka Satarle, Officer, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Abhivrudhi Nigama, Vijayapura

Umakanth, Officer, Shahpur Taluk, Yadgir district

Raids were conducted at 12 locations in Bengaluru city, eight in Bengaluru Rural, seven in Tumakuru, five in Yadgir, four in Mangaluru, and four in Vijayapura.

The raids followed complaints alleging corruption and accumulation of assets disproportionate to known sources of income. A preliminary investigation was carried out into the assets of the officials, their families, and close relatives, after which separate DA cases were registered at respective Lokayukta police stations.

The coordinated operation began at 6 a.m. and was conducted under the supervision of superintendents of police from the respective districts. Deputy superintendents, police inspectors, and other staff were also involved in the raids.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the details of movable and immovable assets seized during the operation. Further information is expected following the completion of assessments at the raided sites.

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News Network
April 30,2025

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday stated that speaking in favour of Pakistan is wrong and constitutes treason. However, he emphasized that an inquiry is ongoing in the case of an alleged mob lynching of a man accused of shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" in Mangaluru.

“If the slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was shouted, it is wrong, regardless of who said it. The inquiry is still underway, a case has been registered, and we will determine the appropriate action based on the report,” Siddaramaiah said in response to questions from reporters about the killing.

He reiterated, “If anyone speaks in favour of Pakistan, it is wrong. It amounts to treason.”

Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed that a person was “lynched” in Mangaluru and said that those arrested claimed the victim shouted "Pakistan Zindabad."

“This is under investigation. Only the arrested individuals have made this claim. Nearly 20 people have been arrested so far. The police are also verifying the identity and background of the deceased. We are taking the case very seriously,” he said, noting that several people present at the cricket match where the incident occurred are being questioned.

Responding to allegations that the police initially attempted to portray the incident as a suicide, the Home Minister said, “We have no such information. If any such discrepancies are found during the investigation, appropriate action will be taken.”

According to police, the deceased has been identified as Ashraf from Pulpalli village in Sultan Bathery Taluk, Wayanad district, Kerala.

The incident occurred during a local cricket match near the Bhatra Kallurti temple in Kudupu village, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, on April 27. Ashraf was allegedly beaten with sticks, resulting in multiple injuries that led to internal bleeding and shock. He was declared dead at the hospital.

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