By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After a long wait of nine months, the SBI branch, Songsak, which was closed due to militant threat, re-opened on Tuesday.
The bank officials informed that the bank will be functioning every Tuesday and Friday and depending on the improved situation, there is a plan to make it operational daily from May.
To encourage transactions, the East Garo Hills DC Vijay Mantri withdrew Rs 1000 from his account from the branch, local MLA, Nihim D Shira deposited Rs 1000. The bank remained closed since June last year after the cashier of bank, Abdul Halim Ali, was abducted by LAEF militants.
It was only after paying Rs 6 lakh after selling his property that the militants released him unharmed in July last year.
The armed militants had abducted Ali on June 23 from Rongri market, while he was on his way from Songsak to Rongjeng in a Santro (AS-26-1488) with his branch manager, Prodip Barman.
They demanded Rs 25 lakh from each and had also snatched Barman’s cell phone. After taking Ali into custody, the militants also asked the branch manager to return with the Santro.
