KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has disposed of a petition challenging the SBI decision to outsource currency chest management in the light of the latter’s submission it has no intention to give direct control of currency chests to any third party and that what is being outsourced is only the currency management using the automatic currency sorting machines.
The petitioners-State Banks’ Staff Union, Kerala Circle, and four employees - submitted banks were barred from outsourcing works forming part of their core management, which included cash management as per RBI guidelines. SBI in its affidavit said the fully automatic note verification and processing machine to segregate the notes into ATM fit notes, reusable notes, soiled and unusable notes and fake notes were being installed in 89 of its identified centres. Of them, the machines had been successfully installed in 77 centres, including Thrissur.
What is being done is only the installation of the machines for sorting the cash and there is no threat of any kind to the scope of employment or promotional opportunities of SBI employees would be occasioned because of the mechanical sorting and bundling of notes under the supervision of the staff.