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The Finance Ministry wants state-owned financial intermediaries to undertake a host of activities, including adding cleanliness message at ATM counters and ATM slips; instituting an annual cleanest branch award; offering suggestions on cleanliness to loan clients; and constructing toilets as part of the government’s ‘Cleanliness Fortnight’.
The Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the Ministry of Finance Ministry, has asked all public sector banks (PSBs), public sector insurance companies (PSICs), and financial institutions (FIs) under its administrative control to observe ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ for a fortnight beginning January 16.
The DFS has advised installation of dedicated notice board or electronic signage in the state-owned intermediaries, highlighting the aspects of the cleanliness drive in a dynamic, updatable manner and displaying Swachhta message and logo on the website, material/ circulars.
The Department wants introduction of a reward system for staff who suggest innovative ideas for cleanliness or propagation of the importance of cleanliness. Further, all PSBs/ PSICs/ FIs may introduce an annual cleanest branch award.
Cleanliness, according to DFS, may figure as a specific agenda item in all quarterly/ periodic review meetings.
“While inspecting the premises of loan clients, bank staff may also pinpoint and offer suggestions on cleanliness,” said a circular issued by the Department to the state-owned intermediaries.
The DFS recommended that branch staff may, on a chosen holiday, undertake monthly visits to interact with rural folk and semi-urban areas to highlight various aspects of cleanliness.
All state-owned intermediaries have been requested to make special efforts in construction of toilets for the public in their premises and nearby locations, wherever feasible, and also arrange for their proper maintenance through outsourcing agencies under CSR funds.
Devidas Tuljapurkar, Joint Secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association, said: “Banks are saddled with bad loans. Eleven public sector banks are under prompt corrective action.
“Banks are in losses. On the one hand, banks are being asked to close branches and divest non-core assets to reduce losses, while on the other we are being asked to incur expenses by opening toilets….Finally, the burden will shift to the customers in the form of service charges.”
Key words: ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’, financial intermediaries, Cleanliness Fortnight’, Swachhta messages
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