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The National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard) has decided to close down around 15 district offices across the country.
The decision was taken at a board meeting held on March 27, according to highly placed sources.
STAFF UTILISATION
The ‘rationalisation' is being undertaken to facilitate ‘meaningful utilisation' of staff. Focus will be on districts with ‘shallow penetration' by formal financial institutions.
Offices in districts where the developmental and infrastructure index is higher, or has improved, and where development is taking place in an accelerated mode, will be closed. They will be transplanted to less developed areas.
Offices within 100 km from the State capitals will be monitored from regional offices.
The review was undertaken in view of the need to expand operations in the North-East region and Jammu and Kashmir, a Nabard resolution said.
‘LEFTIST INFESTED'
The Centre has identified 87 districts as ‘Leftist infested' areas or districts having poor banking network. It desires that special attention be given to these areas.
Thirty others have been identified for larger focus on promotion and linkage of woman self-help groups.
Reacting to the development, Mr Jose T. Abraham, vice-president, All India Nabard Employees Association (AINBEA), criticised the exercise.
“This is part of the commercialisation of Nabard as advised of Boston Consultancy Group,” he said.
KERALA WORST-HIT
It is understood that four offices in Kerala will be closed down, making the State the worst-hit. Two each are being closed down in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh; one each in Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana ,West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and Orissa.
The argument that this is being undertaken to open offices in backward districts is without logic, Mr Abraham said.
The arbitrary decision to close down offices will harm developmental activities in the districts. The lofty goal of financial inclusion will get badly compromised, he added.
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