Even as the industrial workers, including women, turned up in large numbers to open their bank accounts at Industrial Model Township in Manesar on Wednesday, most of the banks stayed away from the special camps being held for the purpose.
Manesar Industries Welfare Association joint-secretary Rajesh Gupta said the workers reached at the venue early in the morning, but most banks did not turn up. “The workers sacrificed their day's earnings to open their accounts, but only three nationalised banks reached in time. The labour department officials entrusted with supervision were also nowhere to be seen. Later in the day, a couple of more banks also joined in, but it was inadequate,” said Mr. Gupta.
Only eight banks participated out of the 22 that the Labour Department had assured will participate, said the MIWA in a press statement.
The workers, most of whom had taken a day's off, had to wait for hours and still many of them could not open their accounts. “We cannot afford to take off every other day and sacrifice our earnings. The administration should make sure that all the banks take part in the camps and open the accounts,” said Raju, a casual worker.
The MIWA officials claimed that most of the banks reached the venue around noon carrying only a few application forms and left within a few hours leaving the people in a fix.
“The local administration should look into it as there are around 50,000 workers in and around Manesar without accounts. We were planning to cover this number in these camps. But now it appears a difficult as banks neither have adequate manpower nor the forms. Also, the bank officials are overburdened with the routine work due to demonetisation,” said Mr. Gupta.
The administration has ordered holding of special camps across the city from December 19-24 for the workers and the labourers to open their bank accounts.
As per the figures provided by the district administration, the nationalised banks held 61 camps and opened 1,054 accounts on Monday, but the private banks held 140 camps and opened 486 accounts. On Tuesday, the nationalised banks held 44 camps and opened 898 accounts, but the private banks held 68 camps and opened 651 accounts. On Wednesday, the nationalised banks held 53 camps and opened 1,000 accounts and the private banks held 83 camps and opened 834 accounts.
The figures clearly show that the private banks are holding almost double the number of camps compared to nationalised banks, but the workers are preferring the nationalised banks for opening accounts.
Meanwhile, an industrialist said that the delay in opening of accounts was causing resentment among the workers as their salaries were getting delayed and some of them had even threatened to go strike.
