Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 31: The All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), the largest trade union of officers in the banking sector commanding a membership of over 3.20 lakh officers, has strongly condemns the alleged misleading reply given by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Parliament wrongfully implying the Bank Officers as the people responsible for the NPA menace facing the Banking Industry.
Alleging that the Government was trying to shift the lapses on their part on various counts, including defective policies and procedures, which were contributing factors to the bourgeoning NPAs of PSU Banks, AIBOC demanded publication of the list of economic offenders and the list of willful defaulters and the list of the names of the individuals who had fled the country during this period cocking a snook at the regulators.
“AIBOC would seek a reply from the Finance Minister whether any lapses on the part of Government functionaries were observed and the number of such officers who were inflicted penalty,” the Confederation said adding that the Government cannot abdicate its responsibility in the accumulation of humongous NPAs.
AIBOC also called for action to be initiated against the board members, who included representatives of the Government and RBI, who undoubtedly had a major role in sanctioning/enhancement these big ticket advances. “The Government is silent on the issue of punishment meted out to the top executives who would have had a role either in sanctioning or presenting these proposals in such a way so as to ensure a smooth passage in the Board Meetings,” the AIBOC said and alleged that the Government deliberately kept open the nominees of both workmen and officer director on the boards of the PSU Banks for the last three years to ensure that there is no dissent at any stage and the major stakeholders are kept in the dark about the decisions taken in the respective boards of the Banks.
AIBOC demanded a clarification from the Finance Minister on his comments so as to undo the damage caused to the image of the entire officers’ fraternity in the Banking Industry.