All India bank body holds general conference
SHILLONG: The secretary general of the All India Regional Rural Bank Employees Association (AIRRBEA), SV Reddy on Monday said that preference should be given to locals while effecting appointments by Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
There were allegations that locals were not given preference in the Meghalaya Rural Bank.
Speaking to reporters after the general conference of the officers of Meghalaya Rural Banks, 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 said and criticised the union government for its focus on the profit angle even thought the objective of RRBs is to serve the rural people in every nook and corner of the country with no expectation of profit.
“Again, the union government has arbitrarily reduced manpower in RRBs even though there is 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 his concern on the 49 per cent profit share in RRBs and said that privatisation led to dilution of its objective to take banking to rural corners.
He also maintained that RRBs are established for a social cause.
He stated that RRBs should be liberated and made into an autonomous body and said that he was irked by the phase wise amalgamation of RRBs.
He also demanded that the amalgamation should be done at one go without disturbing the customers and staff.
There are 94 RRB branches in Meghalaya alone.