CHENNAI: In a letter to Narendra Modi on Tuesday, the Chennai-based All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) has protested against what it called a recent increase in harassment of bank employees. The letter comes after a branch manager was booked in Maharashtra for a farmer’s suicide.
Seeking to draw Modi’s attention to the issue, C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA said that, of late, there was an increase in instances of harassment of bank employees. “We observe that the branch managers, officers and employees in the banks are subjected to various external pressures and harassments and the staff become the target of attack without any reason,” Venkatachalam stated in the letter.
AIBEA further stated that bank officers and employees joined banks for jobs, career and above all else for their livelihood. “They must be able to do their job freely as per the prescribed rules and procedures, particularly, in the matter of implementing government schemes and also in sanction of loans,” he said.
The incident which led to the booking of a bank manager in Maharashtra took place on Friday, when a farmer named Sudhir Gawande (40) of Nashirpur village, and some others approached the branch manager, Santhosh Kumar, for another farm loan. Kumar, who works at the Bank of Maharashtra, refused to extend a loan as the loan account already had an outstanding debt of `4 lakh.
The farmer committed suicide the same night and police booked a case against the manager the next day after pressure from the villagers, who refused to cremate the farmer’s body till a case was registered against the manager.
In his anticipatory bail plea, Kumar contended that he was being victimised and harassed as he refused to listen to the diktats of a local politician.
The bank union took a strong view of the incident in its letter and went on to point out that the efforts of bank officers of PSBs had contributed a lot to the development of rural areas.
“But, please permit us to point out, Sir, that managers, officers and employees in various branches, especially in the rural areas, are working under increasing pressures, threats, intimidations, physical assaults, etc. They become the victims and butt of anger of political whims and at the hands of the higher management also. Thus, they are between devil and deep sea. The situation is very disturbing and a matter of serious concern to us,” it said.
“Please advise the Home Ministry to ensure the withdrawal of the FIR against the manager. Please advise the Finance Ministry to ensure withdrawal of the suspension of the innocent manager,” the letter concluded.
