PANAJI : The Goa Bank Employees Association has asked its members to adhere and not violate any guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India while dealing in financial transactions at the banks.
The precautionary guidelines must be adhered to while depositing and exchanging the demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.
GBEA general secretary Antonio Maximiano Pereira said, “We have clearly told our members not to violate the guidelines of the RBI. Whatever they are, we are bound to accept them.”
Referring to an alleged involvement of a woman bank employee in fraudulently exchanging the scrapped notes to the tune of Rs 11 lakh, he said the association will not defend any person involved in a fraudulent activity.
It has been alleged that the woman staffer of a major nationalised bank fraudulently exchanged the demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 with new currency notes to the tune of Rs 11 lakh.
The ‘discovery’ was made because of a tallying difference.
“If anybody violates the RBI guidelines, then it becomes very difficult to defend. Normally we have never defended any fraudulent activity of anyone. However, mistakes occurring due to system failure or due to pressure are different things. But fraudulent activity we have never
supported anytime,” he stated.
Banks reacted with incredulity to the news of the fraudulent exchange of the demonetised notes.
“Such kind of incidents are rare,” said a senior manager of a nationalised bank.
He said that employees are honest and fear of stringent action usually dissuades them from undertaking unlawful practice.
“This is the first case that has come up in Goa although we are handling hundreds of the demonetised notes each day,” he claimed.
Bank managements are tightlipped whether more such cases have been detected post-demonetisation.
Officials of the prominent bank where the incident occurred refused to talk about it.
According to the bank, records of the demonetised notes are being maintained, and their storage and surrender are being done as per guidelines.
Banks said that such cases, when they come to light, are dealt with a departmental inquiry and need not be handed over to the police. The recovery of the stolen amount is from the employees dues, they said.
Speaking on conditions of anonymity, some staffers said that more than fraudulent practice they are on the tenterhooks over the menacing fake notes.
“It is difficult to subject each note to proper scrutiny. The customer rush makes it difficult for us to detect fakes and the unfortunate employee has to bear the cost,” they said.
