Mangaluru: MCC Bank holds NRI Meet 2022
On the occasion of the Post Centenary decennial celebration of the bank, NRI meet was organised by M.C.C. Bank Ltd at the Pacific IV Hall, Hotel Ocean Pearl, near Navabharath Circle, Mangaluru on Friday 30th December,2022.
The programme started with the prayer song.
The NRI Meet was presided over by Anil Lobo, Chairman of the bank. The meet was formally inaugurated by Rev Dr Rocky D’Cunha, Superior of St. Ann’s Friary Mangaluru. Dr Ronald Colaco, NRI Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Walter Nandalike, Founder & Managing Director of Daijiworld Media Pvt.Ltd, Mangaluru, CA Rudolph Rodrigues, were the guests of honour.
Anil Lobo, in his presidential address, said that the MCC Bank is the pride of our community and the foundation for which was laid by the visionaries and philanthropists 110 years back. He emphasised the importance of the customers in the banking business and said that the staff are being properly trained at the training centre to be more responsive to the needs of the customers and offer best customer service. He informed the gathering about the conduct of customers’ meet at all the branches and the positive feedback received from all the customers about the excellent customer service offered by the Bank. He requested the NRI customers to support the Bank by their word of mouth publicity in their respective countries where they are employed or pursuing their business.
CA Rudolph Rodrigues, while delivering a talk on Taxation for NRIs, explained various provisions of Income Tax/capital gains tax applicable to NRIs, Resident but not ordinarily residents (RNORs) and resident Indians. He also explained the provisions under IT Act and FEMA. He clarified the doubts raised by NRIs during interactive session.CA Rudolph also spoke about the progress made by MCC Bank for the last 4 years and appreciated the professionalism prevailing in the Bank.
Rev Dr Rocky DCunha, in his inaugural speech appreciated the Chairman, Management and Staff of the bank for rendering selfless service to the society. He explained the virtues of generosity and said sharing always doubles the Joy, what we earn will give us living and what we give will earn a life. He quoted Mahatma Gandhi’s words saying helping the humanity is by far the important essence of life.
Walter Nandalike, congratulated the Chairman, Management and the staff for their wonderful progress for the last 4 years, throughout hard work and dedication, despite Critism from certain sections of the community. He expressed that it is easier to critise than to achieve. He also stressed the importance of making the community’s only bank stronger by offering full support and co-operation by the members of the community.
Dr Ronald Colaco, in his address said that Christian community is known world over for doing the noble work in the field of education, healthcare and charity. He appreciated the Bank for its tremendous achievement in all business parameters since 2018. He urged the community members especially the NRIs to extend their 100% support and help the Bank in its growth. He pledged to help the Bank in increasing its capital and also the NRI Deposits.
On this occasion the NRI customers were honoured with shawl and flower bouquets for being a great support to the Bank.
Vice Chairman Jerald Jude Dsilva, Directors Marcel Dsouza, David Dsouza, Herold Monteiro, Andrew Dsouza, Roshan Dsouza, Irene Rebello, Dr Freeda Dsouza, Elroy Kiran Crasto, C.G. Pinto, Sushanth Saldanha, Sharmila Menezes, Alwyn P Monteiro, Felix D’cruz, Dy General Manager Raj Menezes, Senior Manager (NRI) were also present.
Board of Management Chairman Anil Patrao welcomed the gathering. General Manager Sunil Menezes proposed vote of thanks. Roshan D’silva compered.
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Malian defence minister killed in attack that saw jihadis and rebels seize towns, military bases
Dakar (AP): Malian Minister of Defence Gen. Sadio Camara was killed in an attack as jihadi and rebel forces seized towns and military bases across the country, according to a military officer and two other sources on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from the Malian government.
“Unfortunately, the Ministry of Defence, Gen. Sadio Camara, has been killed during the attack which targeted his house yesterday,” said a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not have permission to speak to the media.
Two other people, a civil society leader and a security member, confirmed the information.
Separatist fighters on Saturday joined Islamic militants in launching one of the biggest coordinated attacks on the Malian army in the capital and several other cities that left at least 16 wounded.
The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali, while al-Qaida and Islamic State group-aligned militants have been fighting the government for over a decade.
Malian troops and Russian mercenaries withdrew from the northern city of Kidal after the attacks, the rebels said Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, a separatist group, said the Russian Africa Corps troops and the Malian military withdrew from the city after an agreement was reached for their peaceful exit.
“Kidal is declared free,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan.
The Malian army did not respond to requests for comment but in an earlier statement said they were “tracking down terrorist armed groups in Kidal.”
The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali. Kidal had long served as a stronghold of the rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture marked a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.
It was the first time the separatists worked alongside the al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM, which also claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities, including Kidal, in central and northern Mali.
“This operation is being carried out in partnership with the JNIM, which is also committed to defending the people against the military regime in Bamako,” Ramadan said.
Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center security think tank, said that the coordination between the two groups, as well as the explicit call for the Russian military to leave, is new.
“The coordination, conducting attacks all over the country at the same time, real coordination on the military level but also on the political level because both claims of both groups they acknowledged that they worked together, this is a first,” said Nasr.
Mali government spokesperson Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said on state television late Saturday that 16 people were wounded, including civilians and military personnel, and that several militants were killed. He did not provide a death toll.
The governor of Bamako's district, Abdoulaye Coulibaly, announced a three-day overnight curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Economic Community of West African States has condemned the attacks and called on “all states, security forces, regional mechanisms and populations of West Africa to unite and mobilize in a coordinated effort to combat this scourge.”
The separatists called on Russia to “reconsider its support for the military junta in Bamako, whose actions have contributed to the suffering of the civilian population.”
Following military coups, the juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso turned from Western allies to Russia for help in combating Islamic militants. But the security situation has worsened in recent times, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.
In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako's airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said that while the attacks were a major blow to the credibility of Mali's Russian partners, JNIM is unlikely to take control of Bamako in the near term due to opposition from the local population.
“The attacks are a major blow to Russia as the mercenaries had no intelligence about the attacks and were unable to protect major cities. They have unnecessarily worsened the conflict by not distinguishing between civilians and combatants,” Laessing said.
