Our Bureau
SHILLONG/ TURA: While State Bank of India (SBI) branches all over the State will remain closed on Monday SBI employees in Garo Hills region will go on an indefinite strike in protest against the abduction of their colleague, Subodh Kr. Mishra from Gasuapara branch while returning from his office on Tuesday last.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the conveners of State Bank of India officers and Staffs Association said that all the SBI bank branches in Meghalaya will remain closed on Monday.
They lamented that the Government has not taken any constructive measure to protect the bank employees especially those who are serving in rural areas.
Meanwhile, the indefinite strike is threatening to paralyze financial operations in the entire Garo Hills region given that the SBI is the only bank having branches in both the urban and rural areas and boasts of having the largest number of account holders that run into several lakhs.
The strike by employees of all 41 branches of SBI in Garo Hills could lead to the crippling of the financial sector in this part of the State where the maximum transactions of cash is handled by the bank.
“We want the safe and unconditional release of our colleague Subodh Kr. Mishra and we are also seeking a permanent stop to the repeated attacks and kidnappings of bank employees working in the Garo Hills region,” announced the staffers of SBI.