Bank on them

This is with reference to ‘Stop transferring bank employees’ by Raj Kamal Rao (January 12). A happy and satisfied employee is an asset to an organisation. Reckless transfers without considering the age of the employee, is putting a heavy toll on bankers’ physical and mental health and lowering their productivity.

Fear of transfers to far off places away from the family is also one of the main reasons for many efficient and diligent employees not opting for higher assignments. The transfer policy for all cadres of employees should be amended to enable more people to join the banking industry and opt for higher assignments.

Veena Shenoy

Thane

The issue of bank employees’ transfer is multidimensional and cannot be viewed purely from the narrow angle of customer service as suggested by the writer. The skill sets needed in direct sales and and brokerage business cannot be compared with the wide array of skills needed in banking.

A good professional banker needs skills such as credit appraisal, treasury management, risk management, and they can be picked up only by moving across different geographical areas and working in different areas of operation. How can an employee working in a small town gain exposure in corporate credits and foreign exchange? Can bank promote employees based only on flair for customer service? Though there is scope for rationalisation transfers just cannot be wished away in banks.

Manohar Alembath

Kannur, Kerala

The transfer of bank employees is now used by banks as a weapon to terrorise and exhort employees, especially officers, rather than a tool to motivate. One of the limiting factors is CVC guidelines which mandates time limits for sensitive posts. From a vigilance perspective, longer stay cultivates vested interests.

But banks, especially PSBs use the guidelines to terrorise the officers and grant exemptions on their own choice. Vindictive transfers put officers in defensive mode.

S Veeraraghavan

Coimbatore

Air horror

The deteriorating air quality in Bengaluru and all the other cities in the country has set alarm bells ringing. A report made public by the NGO, Greenpeace India, reveals that none of the cities comply with the air quality standards prescribed by the World Health Organisation .

However, the findings that the ambient air in southern India is far cleaner as compared to the cities up north provides some solace for southerners. Unless we make an earnest effort to switch to cleaner fuels, plant more trees and save existing ones, things could take a turn for the worse.

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

RBI governor’s advice

The warning of the RBI governor against high fiscal deficit and squandering away the benefits of demonetisation exercise through freebies is timely.

The recent surge in bank deposits is purely temporary and deceptive in nature and might vanish once the withdrawal restrictions are removed.

Post demonetisation, IT department has a long drawn out battle in terms of the investigation process to unearth the portion of black money if any deposited with banks. Hence any decision taken based on present liquidity condition such as extending large scale credit guarantees, interest rate subventions and subsidies will affect the economy in the long run.

There is also a slowdown in the overall economic activity with consumer demand and employment generation going for a toss. Banks are still afflicted with the problem of NPAs. There is no adequate capital to lend to productive sectors.

At the international level one is not sure what the policy decisions of the incumbent US government and the Fed moves on interest rates will be.

Hence, the Government instead of going for populist measures should look at fiscal consolidation and ensuring economic stability in the long run.

Srinivasan Velamur

Chennai

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