THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Bank will recruit about 1,200 personnel through the employment exchange for temporary appointments in various positions. This is a stop-gap arrangement to run the business until the Public Service Commission recruits candidates for permanent employment, according to the bank.
“The bank is facing a severe shortage of personnel. Nearly one-fourth of the posts are remaining vacant. Though the recruitment has been handed over to the PSC, it would take time for the commission to complete the recruitment procedures for various posts. We hope to manage the situation with the help of temporary staffers recruited through the employment exchange,” bank president Gopi Kottamurickal told TNIE.
The president said the elected director board could frame the draft special rules in minimum time. Consultations were held with stakeholders, including employee organisations, before submitting the draft for the government’s approval. The approved draft has been handed over to the PSC.
Every month, the bank witnesses 65-73 retirements in various positions, ranging from office attendant to managerial staff. A serious crisis is in the offing if temporary appointments are not made, says Kottamurickal.
It would also affect the recently launched massive programme to reclaim loan arrears. “The present NPA level of 18.64% should be brought below 10% to fall in line with the RBI’s direction. If not, the apex bank will not give clearance for expansion programmes like opening new branches,” he said.
Meanwhile, the bank’s recruitment has come at a time when the employment exchange faces a huge drop in registrations. The number of persons in the live register of the employment department was 29.31 lakh as on December 31, 2021 when compared to the 37.77 lakh six months before.
Sources said the huge drop was after the department restarted the periodical registration renewal in August last year. As per the rule, candidates have to renew their registration every three months. It was stopped since the pandemic broke out in 2020. Also, new registrations hit a new low due to delayed examinations and results for various courses. Several qualified candidates may lose a chance to grab the opportunities in the second largest bank in the state.