The State Bank of India (SBI) has failed to provide proper service to the consumers owing to shortage of clerical staffs. The matter was discussed in the 40th Annual General meeting of the Administrative Zonal Committee, Siliguri Module of the SBI in Siliguri today.

When asked to comment, Senior Vice President of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) Deepak Kumar Sharma said: “Many posts for officers and clerical staffs are lying vacant. There is no recruitment process on regular basis to maintain the ration between officers and clerical staffs. As a result, sometime we are facing problems to provide service.” “The number of officers is higher than the clerical staff members in the State Bank of India.

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The government should look into the matter seriously,” said Mr Sharma, who is also General Secretary of All India State Bank Officers’ Federation (AISBOF). Speaking to this correspondent, Mr Sharma also said: “The rate of recovery is poor traditionally against loan sanctioned under various government’s schemes. We urge that the government should not waive off loan keeping eye on the forthcoming general elections in 2024.

Such political practices have changed the culture of pay back the loan amount to the banks.” “We are not against the government. We are against the policy of the government,” he aided. General Secretary of State Bank of India Officers’ Association (SBIOA), Bengal Circle, Shubhajyoti Chattopadhyay said: “We are going to stage agitation involving consumers in villages against some anti people policy of the present Central Government, highlighting our slogan Bank Banchao Desh Banchao , ahead of general elections 2024 .”

During the conference, the SBI leaders emphasised the importance of promoting self reliant economy, while combating privatisation safe guarding trade union rights. The leaders also strongly criticized the current government’s policies and actions that are perceived as antiworker and anti-people, particularly privatisation of public sector undertakings and banks.

They also voiced concerns regarding the new labour codes, which appear to undermine workers’ rights while favouring corporate interests, benefiting corporate giants at the expense of national resources.