Banks demand reduced working hours in Haryana

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30

Amid rising Covid cases, banks in Haryana have requested the state government to allow them to work with reduced banking hours and minimum staff on the lines of Chandigarh and Punjab, as suggested by the Indian Banks Association (IBA).

There are around 5,000 branches of various banks, including public, private and cooperative banks, operating in the state.

“The infection rate among bankers is ‘alarming’ as they have to attend to hundreds of customers daily. We request the government to allow us to operate with reduced banking hours and minimum staff to curtail the infection rate,” said Harvinder Singh, deputy general secretary and Deepak Sharma, general secretary, SBI Officers’ Association.

In Chandigarh, banks are already working with reduced hours and minimum staff, whereas in Punjab, they will operate from 10 am to 2 pm from May 3 with 50% staff strength.

Meanwhile, the services that will be provided by the banks include accepting deposits, withdrawals, clearing services and government transactions. In Punjab, the services required for supporting the needy sections and crucial sectors, including agricultural sector, will also be provided. 

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