The High Court (Single Bench) of Tripura, issued a directive to the Managing Authority of Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB) on August 22, 2022 to promptly establish a scheme for maintaining the old service rules in order to regularize the daily attendance workers.
This decision was made in response to the 75 daily attendance workers who have been serving in Tripura Gramin Bank for many years and are yet to be regularized.
Sources said, in response to the Single Bench’s order, Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB) lodged an appeal with the Division Bench of the High Court of Tripura, seeking a review of the decision. However, on December 8, 2022, after a comprehensive hearing, the Division Bench upheld the judgment made by the Single Bench.
Furthermore, the Division Bench directed the bank to take immediate and suitable measures to regularize the 75 daily attendance workers.
“Regrettably, despite the passage of almost five months since the Division Bench’s ruling, Tripura Gramin Bank authorities have failed to take any action in this regard”, sources in the Bank alleged.
While the state government has increased the wages of daily attendance workers across various sectors, the wages of daily attendance workers in Gramin Bank have remained stagnant – these workers have not received a salary increase for the past four years, despite many of them having served in crucial roles within the bank for 25 to 30 years.
The inaction of the bank authorities has sparked frustration among the affected employees. In contrast, the Employees and Officers bodies of the bank seem to be turning a blind eye to the situation for unknown reasons.
Additionally, the bank authorities, appointed on deputation from Punjab National Bank (PNB), have demonstrated a lack of transparency. They did not hold press conferences to inform the public about the bank’s financial condition, which was previously done twice a year. This sudden shift towards secrecy has raised questions among the people of Tripura.
Reliable sources have revealed that the daily attendance workers are on the verge of deciding to stage an indefinite protest, besieging the bank authority, including the bank chairman. Simultaneously, contempt of court cases are also expected to be filed in the near future.
According to the sources, the situation regarding the delayed regularization of daily attendance workers in Tripura Gramin Bank is causing a growing sense of unrest and dissatisfaction among the affected employees.