PATIALA: With the announcement of Centurion Bank of Punjab, to the merger of Centurion Bank of Punjab and HDFC Bank with effect from today May 23, 2008, as this announcement compared with the death of another Punjab's bank.

Earlier with nationalization of Punjab and Sind Bank by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in April 1980 and Punjab had lost its own bank.

It was in the year 1908, with the far-sighted vision of luminaries like Bhai Vir Singh, Sir Sunder Singh Majitha and Sardar Tarlochan Singh who have founded Punjab & Sind Bank. The bank was founded on the principle of social commitment to help the weaker section of the society in their economic endeavours to raise their standard of life. 

After the nationalization of Punjab and Sind Bank its chairman Dr. Indrjit Singh had founded bank of Punjab in 1995. Singh started his banking career in 1932. He became the chief executive of the Punjab and Sind Bank in 1960 and retired in 1982.

After the banking sector was liberalized, he was granted permission to start a private bank and founded the Bank of Punjab in 1995. He was also responsible for setting up the chain of Guru Nanak Foundation Public School.

Another Punjab National Bank (PNB) was established in 1895 at Lahore and Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia made as its Founder Chairman. PNB has the distinction of being the first Indian bank to have been started solely with Indian capital. In 1969, Punjab National Bank was nationalized along with 13 other banks.

There will be loss of cultural and heritage of Punjab and particularly Sikh cultural. As all these Punjab banks have founded in Punjab and later vanished its identity.

This will affect the employment of Punjabis in these banks as all these banks have adopted Sikhs as their main patrons and have been bringing out various publicity materials and give employment to Sikh youths to involve them.