Jamia Cooperative Bank honours 12 rat-hole miners, gives Rs 50,000 reward to each for tunnel rescue operation

Jamia Cooperative Bank gives Rs 50,000 each to 12 rate-hole miners

Rat-hole miners, who had grabbed national and international headlines in November 2023, were honoured with the MFH Beg Memorial Awards and Rs 50,000 cheques each at a glittering event at the India Islamic Culture Centre on Sunday.

According to the event organiser, the award was established in the name of Jamia Cooperative Bank founder Mirza Faridul Hasan Beg to honour exceptional “service providers who save lives, promote brotherhood, and foster national integration”.

Jamia Cooperative Bank Chairman Mirza Qamarul Hasan Beg distributed the cheques to the rat-hole miners for risking their lives to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed, under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi in November last year. He said the bank decided to honour them for their exemplary work.

One by one, the twelve rat-hole miners were called to the stage amidst applause from the packed audience. Mohd Rashid Bhure Khan, Munna, Vaqeel Hasan, Devendra, Jatin Khashyap, Ankur Kumar, Monu Kumar, Shorabh Kashyap, Firoz Qureshi, Mohd Irshad, Naseem, and Nasruddin received the award and cheques.

Banker-turned-philanthropist Qamarul Hasan Beg praised the work done by these rat-hole miners.

People from across the national Capital attended the event.

The Jamia Co-operative Bank, registered by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, started its operation at 334 E, Batla House, Jamia Nagar, on December 28, 1995 and since then has grown with several branches.