With bank branches and employees all over the country facing the problems of local authorities sincerely enforcing Covid lockdowns, the Finance Ministry has asked the state governments to ensure the safety of the bank employees and enable them to commute to their branches for smooth functioning of the financial system.
In a letter to the Chief Secretaries of states, the Finance Ministry said, “In addition to the request for the vaccination on priority, I would also like to draw your attention to some unfortunate instances which have taken place recently in different states and union territories where bank employees have been manhandled by state law enforcement authorities. Likewise, offices of banks and branches have occasionally been ordered to shut down even during permitted banking hours, accompanied by threats.” The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), the apex body of banks in India, has already asked banks to curtain business operations between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.
