CIRCULAR/GS/2013/25

  We reroduce the circular issued by AICBOF on ARDR 2008 issue for our readers.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 025                            Date: 16.08.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                            PLEASE CIRCULATE

“We furnish hereunder the communication sent to the management for the information of all officers:

                                   ARDR- 2008---BARE TRUTH

We are rudely shocked to learn that the Bank has issued a ‘Show- Cause’  notice  to large number officers of the Bank on the alleged commissions and omissions on their part in the matter of handling  Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme,2008.This has demoralized the officers of the Bank, particularly Branch Managers.

If Management persists with disciplinary action in this matter, it will surely lead to large scale frustration and it will have a cascading effect in their long term performance in the rest of their career in the Bank. Such actions would also drive away the new and young recruits who have joined the Bank with high aspirations even throwing away a highly paying position in the I.T. field.

Everyone knows that implementation of ARDR Scheme in 2008 was a mammoth task. The Scheme had several provisions for different classes of farmers like Marginal, Small and Others based on their land holding and tenancy. It had prescribed several instructions on various types of credit facilities and for a plethora of agricultural and allied activities. A typical Rural Branch has hundreds and thousands of Farm Loan accounts.

In 2008, most of the Rural Branches were not even computerized not to speak of Core Banking System. Most of the Branches had only one BM without even a supporting second line officer. Some Branches were not even having a regular BM. Even, clerical support where at all available, was minimal. Even to prepare a list of eligible borrowers based on this maze of instructions was a mind boggling task.

Thereafter, following the detailed Accounting Procedure set out for the innumerable types of farmers, activities and types of accounts was a formidable task .To the credit of the officers it should be recorded, they did a commendable job of this. So much so, Bank’s circular dated 17.07.2008 issued by Priority Sector Department ( RD Section) complimented the Branches and Regional Offices for timely completion of this job. Rarely, if ever, the Bank issues such a circular and it speaks volumes about the enormity of the exercise.

After implementation of this Scheme, came the One Time Settlement Scheme in 2009-10 and this again was an arduous job. All these jobs were audited by Internal Auditors, RBI Auditors, AG’s office auditors and Statutory Auditors in their routine audit over the years. In June, 2010, there was a specific certification for implementation of the Scheme in Branches by Statutory Auditors. If all these audits could not bring out the so called irregularities now spoken of, it shows how herculean the whole effort was.

Now, after five years, chargesheeting the then BMs and officers in such an issue is totally unconscionable. Many of these officers would have already retired or would be in the evening of their service. Some may have climbed up the ladder to the executive level. The move is totally ill advised, self defeating and unethical and we request you to drop these draconian directives.”

We shall inform you the developments in due course.

WITH GREETINGS

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)                         

GENERAL SECRETARY