Manipur banks' plea

By Our Correspondent

IMPHAL, APRIL 20. The managers of seven nationalised banks, except the SBI and UBI, have made a plea to the new Manipur DGP, Mr. D. S. Grewal, to redeploy the police and Manipur Rifles security guards in their banks. Reports say that Mr. Grewal did not make any firm commitment since it is the Government's policy to withdraw these guards and deploy the ``well-trained'' Home Guard personnel in their place.

After the guards were withdrawn on March 23, the banks stopped cash transactions from April 1, leaving over 200,000 account- holders in the lurch. Besides all business has come to a virtual standstill.

During a meeting with the Chief Secretary, the DGP and other officials, the bank managers said they were against the deployment of the `inadequately armed' Home Guard personnel who were occasionally pressed into service. But the then DGP, Mr. L. Jugeswor, had assured them that they were well-trained.

However, the bankers said that instead of the five police or Manipur Rifles personnel, who had been paid Rs. 1,500 per head per month till now, the new Government Order made it mandatory for a bank to deploy 10 Home Guard personnel on payment of Rs. 2,000 each.

The Government is planning to approach the RBI with a request to accept its new order. But apart from the fact that the Home Guard personnel are not equipped to face the insurgents, the bankers are against the arrangement since a large amount of cash is at stake.

The bank managers told TheHindu that unless the security guards were redeployed there was no question of doing any cash transaction. No security guards can also be deployed in the branches located far away.

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Section  : Regional
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