Following the recent attack on a woman at an ATM in Bangalore, the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) has urged the RBI to drop its plan for ‘white-label ATMs’ that would be operated and maintained by private agencies.

It also wants the Indian Bankers’ Association, the apex body of bankers, to evolve a uniform ATM policy that would ensure safety of customers and quality of service.

C. J. Nadakuamr, General Secretary of the Kerala branch of BEFI, said in a statement that more than 1,000 ATMs without proper security had been shut down in Karnataka at the directive of the Karnataka Government. If other State governments too followed this, most of the ATMs in the country would have to fold up.

Such closure would, Nandakumar said, derail the ‘so-called reforms’ being implemented by the banks under the catchwords ‘branch banking’ or ‘alternative delivery channels’.

Banks were following different methods of filling cash, daily maintenance and security at the ATMs and many of these functions were outsourced, leading to customer complaints.

In the case of `white-labels’ it would be the responsibility of the private agencies to locate, instal, and maintain ATMs, but with no provision of security. In view of this, the RBI should scrap this move, Nandakumar said.

basheer.kpm@thehindu.co.in

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