In an era when bankers line up before clients to extend loans, not many understand the pressure on bank employees when the borrower turns out to be a wilful defaulter.
After having exhausted every plausible option, the bankers finally resort to seize the property or the vehicle on which they had extended the loan. But that’s not a preferred solution, especially when it comes to seizing vehicles, as it will involve additional cost to the bank.
Now, bankers seem to have zeroed in on another option for getting their loan repaid especially non-performing assets (NPA).
Officials and staff of United Bank of India, Gokul Road, experimented with a new method recently and it seems to have made an impact. Holding placards that said ‘please pay our dues’, bank manager Durjoy Rabha, his deputy and other staff stood before the building which housed a play home at Keshwapur in Hubballi. They stood there silently for some time, in a bid to ‘remind’ a ‘wilful defaulter couple’ to pay their dues.
Their silent ‘protest’ if it can be called so, drew attention of the people in the neighbourhood, passersby and also the parents of the children enrolled in the play home.
And their efforts did make an impact. The husband called up the bank to inform them that he would come to meet them.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Rabha said the couple who had availed two loans worth over Rs. 4 lakh had turned out to be wilful defaulters and their account had become NPA two years ago. Despite “good economical health”, they had not repaid their dues regularly, he said.
“We didn’t want to seize the vehicle as it would only mean additional burden to us. And we didn’t want to defame anybody. We just wanted to remind them about their dues through this silent step,” he said.
The bank plans to send similar “silent reminders” to wilful defaulters in the coming days.
