‘RRBs should recruit locals only’

SHILLONG: In view of allegations that locals are not given preference in
appointment of staff in lMeghalaya Rural Bank, the secretary
general of All India Regional Rural Bank Employees Association
(AIRRBEA), SV Reddy maintained appointments in respective RRBs should be local based and regional.
Speaking to reporters after the general conference of the officers of
Meghalaya Rural Banks on Monday, Reddy said, “RRBs are regional in
character and there should be a local and ethnic touch. Corporate feel
is not expected but the government of India is diluting that. The
government should understand the local feel.”
He added that the All India examinations should be conducted in local
languages of the respective states. Preference to locals should be
given especially for clerical posts, Scale-I officers and staff that
deal with the grassroots.
He criticised the Union government for its focus on the profit angle
even thought the objective of RRBs are to serve the rural folks in
every nook and corner of the country with no expectation for profit.
Again, he said the Union government had arbitrarily reduced manpower
in RRBs even though there was a need to increase the manpower in RRBs.
“We want more recruitment and opening of more branches,” he said.
On the other hand, Reddy voiced concern on the 49 per cent profit
share in RRBs and said privatisation lead to dilution of its objective
to take banking to rural corners. He maintained that RRBs are
established for a social cause.
He stated that RRBs should be liberated and made into an autonomous
body and was irked at the phase wise amalgamation of RRBs. He
demanded that the amalgamation should be done in one go without
disturbance to customers and staff.
In Meghalaya, there are 94 branches of RRBs.