justice for bankers

It is the time that our honourable CMD MVNair conducts introspection and justifies the actions of various DGMs and GMs who transferred whimsically a lot of officers to other states on the excuse of non-performance. I especially mention the case of DGM Jharkhand and the then GM of Kolkata who practically transferred all Non Orriyas to other states, some officers to Bangladesh Border i.e. to Tripura state, some to Gangtok, some others to West Bengal or UP or MP or Maharashtra. The DGM and the then GM satisfied their ego by disturbing the family life of officers who did not flatter him and who did not belong to a particular caste lobby. It is worthwhile to mention here that officers of West Bengal, Tripura,Karnataka, Tamilnadu ,Maharashtra are seldom transferred to remote states as those of states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Orrissa and UP

Our beloved and renowned CMD should now see whether there is any improvement or further deterioration in the value of assets during last three years in those branches wherefrom some special type of officers were transferred by biased DGM on the excuse of non performance (surrounded by some different type officer’s lobby) two years ago?

I do not want to enlighten the complicate the matter, which may violate bank’s secrecy policy or which may further hurt the ego of person sitting in top echelon.. Management has every tools in its almirah to look into each credit account of big and old branches and ascertain whether so called non performers had improved the health of Bank’s asset or their successor or their predecessor have/ had done better for the bank which resulted in their promotion and rejection of so called non performers in the same promotion process and their posting at the most remotest and the most critical branch.

If CMD hesitates to touch his corruption ridden General Managers AGM, DGM till their retirement, other competent authorities may be ordered to peep into the matter and try to precipitate the reality and truth of banking administration and Human Resource Management.

CMD should justify his action of picking management executives from MBA college campuses at packages higher than those of employees of the same bank who have served for more than two or three decades.

I hope bank will justify the action of promoting young officers at the cost of senior, experienced and devoted officers. Young officers may humiliate senior officers and give some transitory vale to the ban but in the long run such unethical and unconstitutional practices may spoil the bank.

CMD should tell the people of India whether there was actual cash recovery in bad accounts or manipulation in the system to hide bad accounts which portrayed better picture of some officers who got preferred promotion and posting. Why and how an officer indulging in bad advances is promoted, even an officer who financed to person against whom action under SERFACIE was initiated is promoted and within one year, the account becomes bad again? Does it not prove the malicious intention of executive protecting and promoting such officers?

If any unbiased authority looks into each and every account of at least Pilaval branch since the inception of the branch , it will be enough to spoil the career of a lot of Chief Manager, AGMs, DGM, EDs, and CMD too. Branches of Jharkhand, Bihar, UP etc have the potential to open Pandora ’s Box for a lot of executives. But who will bell the cat is a million dollar question. Birds of the same feather have flocked together in the top domain of bank’s management.

Whether government deposit mobilized by an executive may turn bad assets into good asset and thus help bank in enhancing the intrinsic value of the bank? If hundred crores of deposit is distributed among ten flatter branch managers, it is sure that these ten persons will be treated as performer and others as non performer.

It has to be ascertained whether so called good officers have added bad assets in the name of achievement of credit delivery target. It has to be seen why finance made by star performers become bad in a year or two. Why executives responsible for irregularities are exonerated and juniors are punished, why wrong doers are promoted and person on the spot is made scapegoat.

And so on…………………..

Lastly I agree with the idea of CMD of punishing non-performers. But it has to be ascertained by the system whether the non- performance is due to lack of motivation by his boss or by virtue of his posting at a critical branch or it is lack of will of the officer to perform or lack of knowledge.

In case of lack of knowledge management may impart the best training to him to convert him performer. Otherwise it proves the failure of training system.

In case the boss is lacking motivating skill the boss may be given a lesson to improve. When a boss cannot motivate a few BMs, how can a BM may be expected to manage the branch where staff as well as customers have to be motivated.

In case the non-performance is due to adversities attached with the branch or due to environmental impediments in the path of performance, the officer shouldering the load of such branch should rather be awarded.

In case there are non willed officer, transfer to some other place may appear justified, but not without giving him an opportunity to improve. Management has right to force such officers to retire or should have a provision for VRS for such unwilled and unskilled non performers.

It is always to be kept in mind that a person is not always bad. It rather depends on the perception of his assessor who may be caste biased, region biased or there may be some hidden greed of money or gift or flattery in the mind of assessor which forces him to be biased against any officer even if he is devoted performer.

Best tool available in the almirah of Human Resource Development Department should be applied on case-to-case basis. Otherwise there is every possibility that an executive sitting at the top of affairs uses his whims even at the cost of intrinsic value of the bank.

Real success of the management lies in not only transferring an officer to remote place but in making efforts for value addition in an officer and thus in bank. It is always told for branch head to be tactful in handling junior staff in the branch. Real success of a Branch Manager lies in taking work from available staff. Similarly it is expected from Regional head to apply prudence and wisdom in dealing with Branch head shedding personal ego. Everyone in the bank knows how officers under work pressure and in want of enough manpower are constrained to bypass rule to achieve the target under various parameter, it may be credit delivery, opening of accounts, deposit mobilization, monitoring of advances or recovery under NPA accounts.

Despite all if management is really interested to give value to merit and merit only, same team of officers sitting at head office should judge the performance of all officers and there should be no room left for regional heads to apply their mind in whimsical manner and there should be no room for Interview in promotion processes. It is bitter truth that delegated power vested in different persons cannot be utilized by different person in similar manner ant in desired and expected manner. Under CBS system management can assess the performance of all officers sitting in office at Mumbai and in this path there will be minimum use of whims. Management can save lot of expenses incurred in conducting promotion processes and ensure reign of justice.

Penalty for Tax Evasion

It is reported in prominent newspaper today that tax dues from tax evaders has been increasing year after year and due to some reason or the other has mounted to Rs.198508 crores, say two lac crores rupees as on 30.09.2009. Out of this Rs.133232 crores pertain to corporate sector and Rs.65274 crores from individuals. Department of revenue, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has proposed punishment of rigorous imprisonment from three to seven years for such tax evaders, who conceal their income, who do not file income tax returns, who violates anti money laundering act, or who do not deduct TDS or do not deposit tax deducted at source in time..

This is indeed a very good proposal .I however feel that CTBT should start this holy task by launching searching and investigating process in respect of all officers and babus working in Income tax department and various Ministries of Central government. Charity and good work should begin from home. In the second round big fishes involving tax evasion of rupees ten lacs and more may be trapped, then politicians having houses, apartments, colleges, factories worth more than a crore rupee may be caught and so on.

When top level ministers, IT officers , IT commissioners, CBI personnels,vigilance officers and officers involved in scrutiny of files, searching, assessing and investigating processes are honest , there is no doubt that the same culture will percolate down the level and this message will spread like epidemic in entire country and people of India will never dare opt for tax evasion. It is a bitter truth and undeniable fact that all types of tax evasions are taught by none other than IT babus and officers either directly or middlemen called as IT consultants. There is clear nexus between tax assessing authorities and businessmen and all tax files involving big individuals and corporate. As soon as Income tax payer agrees to quantum of bribe or commission set by IT officers are given in an envelope, file gets clearance from tax officers. This corrupt practice causes loss many times more than existing tax dues revealed herein above to government.

It is unfortunate that honest tax payers in India are never awarded, respected and given preferred treatment, but more often than not harassed and unnecessarily tortured by corrupt IT babus and corrupt officers of Income tax departments because such honest tax payers do not easily agree to give bribe to the department .It is also true that in our country even IT officers do not get promotions and good posting as long as he or she do not fill the pocket of Ministers and top officials of Ministry of concerned department. Such practice is all offices of government, all banks and all departments where government is having control. Merit is seldom respected, but corrupt officers are more often than not awarded. When the Ganga flowing from top is poisoned and polluted one cannot dream of pure water at ground level. .

This is why I have to suggest to Government and CTBT to launch attack first on those officers who are originators, perpetuators and irrigators of corruption and immediately stop financial terrorism let loose by tax authorities .If we start giving respect to honest tax payers and punishing corrupt government officers honestly, sincerely, quickly and without any based attitude there will be great improvement in the prevailing culture and people of prefer paying tax than opting for tax evasion. There are enough laws in existing law books to penalize the guilty if there is will to do so. There is no need to frame tougher rule in this regard. India needs strong will of execution of rules truly and in good spirit

India should learn to award honest officers and stop giving preference to officers who flatter and who earn through unfair means and give share to seniors. Public opinion should be sought to assess honesty and integrity of an officers. Formal certificate of honesty and integrity as prevalent in the system is nothing but a formality. Truth and reality of Indian system is known to all Indians. As such proposed rigorous imprisonment should commence from corrupt IT officials and corrupt ministers sitting at the top post and who are root cause of all evils. Tax payers deserve praise, respect and honour because they are backbone of Indian economy.

Danendra Jain
Ganaraj Chumuhani Agartala 799001
05.04.2010