Lucknow: The All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) has sought the constitution of district-level committees to conduct preliminary scrutiny of criminal complaints filed against bank officers in connection with their official duties, loan recovery proceedings and action under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act.
AIBOC Uttar Pradesh state secretary Laxman Singh has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking the creation of such committees in every district. The proposal aims to prevent bank officials from being harassed through allegedly false or malicious complaints while ensuring that genuine complaints continue to be investigated through due process.
According to AIBOC, bank officials carrying out loan recovery in accordance with prescribed rules and legal procedures are at times subjected to complaints allegedly intended to exert pressure on them or obstruct recovery proceedings. Such complaints can lead to police inquiries and court proceedings against officials, potentially affecting the recovery process and the functioning of banks.
The proposed district-level committee would include a senior police officer, the Lead District Manager, a senior officer from a public sector bank and a representative of the district administration. The panel would conduct a preliminary assessment of complaints to determine whether they indicate a prima facie criminal offence or appear to have been filed with the intention of interfering with a bank’s lawful recovery action.
AIBOC stressed that the proposed mechanism should not prevent or restrict investigations into genuine complaints. However, it said safeguards were necessary against baseless and malicious complaints that could result in the harassment of bank officers acting in discharge of their official responsibilities.
The organisation said such a mechanism could help ensure that legitimate loan recovery processes are not unnecessarily disrupted while strengthening financial discipline and public confidence in the banking system.
United Forum media in-charge Anil Tiwari said Laxman Singh had sent the representation by email to the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, the Director General of Police, the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) and the Director General of the Institutional Finance Department, seeking appropriate action on the proposal.
