Amritsar DC had Rs 40k in 1940: SBI files

AMRITSAR: Rare ledgers and records dating back to the pre-independence years are on display for public viewing at a Heritage gallery set up in the State Bank of India’s Town Hall branch in the city.The files on display show interesting details like the deputy commissioner of Amritsar had Rs 40,000 in his account in 1940, while the Khalsa College had a balance of Rs 12,315. Private companies Burmah Shell Cold Storage and Distributing Company of India Ltd had more than Rs 2 lakh in their coffers when the Imperial Bank of India’s Lahore branch was transferred to Amritsar in 1940.The SBI was the successor of Imperial Bank of Indiaand came into being on July 1, 1955. Apart from Amritsar, the bank has suchgalleries in Ambala and Shimla also in the north India region.The Town Hall branch’s chief manager Harish Nayyar told TOI on Thursday that they recently opened the Heritage gallery for public. “We decided to maintain the gallery in the bank premises to display old ledgers and records that have not been seen yet. Not many know that prominent personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Rajinder Parsad, JRD Tata and Pt Moti Lal Nehru had been patrons of the SBI. At the gallery we have also displayed their photographs,” Nayyar said.Deputy manager of the bank ForexManoj Kumar informed that even at that time the bank ledger was verymeticulously maintained. “The concerned clerks signed after every commentthey had made regarding the account and after every transaction to authenticatethe same,” said Manoj.