Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 5: The Jammu and Kashmir Employees Coordination Committee (JKECC) today slammed J&K Bank for deducting two back-to-back loan instalments from employee salary accounts just days before Eid-ul-Adha, calling it a “deliberate and callous act.”
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, JKECC President Shah Fayaz said the repeated deductions have caused emotional and financial distress among employees across the Union Territory. “This is not just a technical glitch; it is a betrayal of trust. Employees are emotionally distressed and financially paralyzed ahead of a major religious festival,” Fayaz said.
He alleged the incident reflects systemic lapses and a disregard for professional banking norms. “This marks the second straight month of such deductions. Following widespread outrage, the bank reportedly marked the amount as an ‘Overdraft (OD)’-raising further concerns about transparency and accountability in J&K Bank’s internal processes,” he said.
During the press meet, Shah Fayaz-who is also Chairman of JK Teachers Association (JKTA) and National Secretary of IPSEF-demanded the immediate refund of unauthorised deductions and a formal clarification from the bank. He also called for urgent reforms in the salary-linked loan system to make it consent-based and proposed that employees be given the option to withdraw their salaries through any nationalised bank if such mismanagement continues.
He bought intervention from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary (Finance), and political leaders including Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. “Government employees are the backbone of administration. Their financial dignity must not be compromised,” Fayaz said. He warned that if no action is taken, employees may move their salary accounts to more reliable banks.
Employees say the deductions have left them without funds at a critical time. Zulfikar Dar, a government employee, shared, “My account balance is zero though my salary was credited. My mother is unwell and depends on daily medication. My son is studying, and I do not know how I will manage Eid this year. I feel completely helpless.”
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