PSU banks ask branches to work full hours

Full staffing advised to help banks cope with pay day rush, DBT withdrawals in rural areas

31/03/2020, MANOJIT SAHA,MUMBAI

Bracing themselves: Bankers are anticipating a rush in their branches in rural and semi-urban areas.PTIPTI

After being prodded by the Finance Ministry, state-owned banks have directed their branches to ensure that the staff are present in full strength from Tuesday and that the branches remain open for regular business hours in anticipation of the higher footfall this week, especially in rural and semi-urban branches where digital banking facilities are not being availed extensively.

Bankers are anticipating a rush in their branches in rural and semi-urban areas as more customers are expected to queue up to withdraw cash after the government transfers ₹500 to Jan Dhan account holders as part of the COVID-19 economic relief package announced by the Centre. In addition, there would be the usual increase in banking activity that typically happens at the beginning of a month due to salary disbursements and pension payments.

Bankers said this week could prove to be challenging for the branch staff, especially to ensure compliance with physical distancing norms.

Some of the lenders have already withdrawn earlier instructions for rotation of duty on alternate days, effective from March 31. All staff members have been asked to report for duty.

Following the nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19, public sector banks were operating on the basis of truncated working hours with limited staffing and had been providing basic banking services.

However, this had irked the Ministry which had reportedly sought an explanation from the banks on why many branches were closed.

In a videoconference with bank chiefs on Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had reviewed banks’ functioning during the lockdown, even while maintaining social distancing.

“All banks are ensuring their branches are kept open, ATMs filled up and are working. Banking correspondents are active. Social distancing is respected and sanitizers are provided where necessary,” Ms. Sitharaman tweeted on Monday.

“There is a big risk for the bank staff and customers inside the premises in large numbers and would go totally against the objective of social distancing,” C. H. Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association, wrote to the Ministry.