SBI M'lore branch yields vegetables too

The land which is available in and around the bank has been converted into a vegetable garden instead of growing ornamental plants or flower bearing plants.

Branch AGM C M Tallur said that there is a wrong notion among people of the region that only coconut can be grown in the coastal district and vegetables can not be grown. “But we have shown the people of the region that vegetables can be grown,” he said.

Leafy vegetables like greens (harive soppu), methi leaves, brinjal, tomato, kohlarbi (navilkosu), okra (bendekai) have been grown in the bank premises.

“We had grown white beetroot two months ago, which do not have sugar content in it. We could get around 25 kgs of white beetroot. All the vegetable seeds which ‘Adike pathrike’ gets, are experimented in the bank premises,” he added.

“In fact, many of our customers give us the vegetable seeds and even manure and help in growing the vegetables. The grown vegetables are given to the customers,” he said.

Tallur said “recently a customer had given us 50 mattugulla saplings, which we have planted around the State Bank of India Mangalore branch. Recently, we had grown local okra, which is known for its medicinal value in ayurveda. Many public came asking for okra. In the recent NRI customers meet, we had given organically grown vegetables in a packet as gift for our customers.”

The initiative was started around four years ago.

‘Power saving’

To give impetus to green concept, the branch has already started using LED lights and green AC. The bank has also installed dusk to dawn solar lightings, which has reduced power consumption by 40 per cent in the branch, Tallur added.