It is my painful duty to have to recall objectively my sordid experience of being the depository of a series of charge sheets from my employer, a premier nationalized bank,(hereinafter referred by me as MYBANK) in two particular segments of my service. I served the Bank for 39 years, secured seven promotions from clerk to senior management, Scale IV Officer, and retired honorably in 1996/97. In between I was served nine charge sheets in the first phase from 1978 and 1985 and two charge sheets later in the last lap at point of my retirement in 1996-97. In the first period, I also filed nine-writ petitions against the Bank in four different High Courts and in the Supreme Court of India.

During my long innings, in the bank I served at different times in six Large/Very Large branches of the Bank (including the main branches of the metropolitan centers at Bangalore and Hyderabad), as Manager/Sr.Manager/Chief Manager. I worked as Branch manager in seven different States at various periods. I also served twice as Development Manager for branches in the States of Karnataka and Kerala. For three years I functioned as Chief Inspector of the Bank with an all-India jurisdiction, inspecting very large branches, regional and zonal offices.

I was given extensive training in the Bank in functional areas like Management Development and Credit Delivery programmes. In particular I was selected and sponsored in 1979 to attend the Senior Executive course at the prestigious Administrative Staff Training College of India, Bella Vista, Hyderabad.

Bank service afforded me varied and rich experience, as also the opportunity to interact with professionals of different discipline, industrialists, businessmen and government officials, high and low. This opportunity afforded me a larger scope to learn various facets of industry, commerce and professions, than what I could have, if I had stayed in a University for a decade for full time study. I could also pursue distance learning during my service and added useful professional educational qualifications. I Completed the Banking Certificate (Associate) Examinations and also qualified myself in Cost Accountancy and Industrial Finance. I received comprehensive training in financing small industries at the S.I.S.I. Guindy, Madras.

Extensive travel opportunity throughout the country was another enriching experience. I traveled and visited on Bank work over 50 cities in all States of the country except J & K and the Northeast. This provided an opportunity for me to study, process or analyze about 500 industrial projects of different dimensions ranging from the biggest (like HAL, HMT, ECIL etc.) to several small scale units as Branch Manager, Development Manager and Chief Inspector. I could equally specialize in small advances (micro-credit), thanks to active patronage and support to participate in their State level programmes, that I received from initially the Government of Karnataka and later the Government of Andhra Pradesh. As branch manager of Bangalore City and later at Hyderabad main offices, I successfully allowed record number of small advances, i.e. credit for gainful self-employment, in an aggregate for about 3000 families of socially and economically weaker-sections. These projects in micro lending were successfully grounded with 100%-verified eligibility of respective borrowers and total bonafide utilization of credit in the implementation, resulting in successful self-employment in all cases financed. Carefully selected borrowers made proper use of the credit provided. All these projects were formulated in an intensive package, providing all essential non-credit inputs in addition to credit support and integrated approach involving active participation by multiple development agencies of the respective State Governments, who extended technical, supply and marketing support to the efforts of the Bank.

After promotion as Branch Manager in 1972, I got prizes for six consecutive terms for best performance in two branches. In every branch I worked, I could secure business growth and profitability and successfully reach my performance targets at all times. In retrospect I cannot say that I received overall a raw deal from the Institution, despite the attempts at harassment by a few at the top management for some time. The Bank has in fact looked after me well, having accepted me in service in 1957, as an ordinary clerk in the scale of Rs.120 per month, elevating me and enabling me to retire in 1996 in senior management cadre getting around Rs.15000 per month + weighty perks. Even now thanks to the Bank’s benevolence, I am placed comfortably in my retired life. I am recipient of four different pensions from the Bank and LIC amounting to Rs.10200 per month. The lump sum amount of retiring benefits is invested with the Bank, which pays me 14% p.a. on my 10-year deposit.

Though repeatedly charge sheeted, I withstood and retained my calm, cool composure and never felt insecure, such that at no time any of my colleagues could sense that I was facing a trial. I could distinguish between the Public Institution I served, and the individuals at the top management, who controlled the Bank. Loyalty to the Bank was the instinct feeling. I showed no disrespect or failed in due obedience to the top management, but not total or blind subservience against the recorded rules of the Bank or the interests of the Bank. I consider Bank’s Conduct Rules applicable in both directions for all public servants within the Bank, irrespective of the position or place they occupy.

For 12 years (from 1957 to 1969) I served the Bank, when it was in the private sector. After nationalization I continued with no problems in my service for the next eight years, when top management of the pre-nationalization period continued. It all started after 1977, when I was Development Manager of the Bank in charge of branches in Karnataka, after very successful period of stewardship of Bangalore City Branch for sixteen months (1975-76). In fact the work of establishing close liaison with the State Government of Karnataka at the highest levels and improving the deposits of the Branch from Rs.85 Lacs to Rs.2.70 Crores within this short period of 16 months, brought me appreciation from the then chairman of the bank. In recognition I was given higher responsibilities as Development Manager to look after business development of all branches in Karnataka. I enjoyed wide support from the State Government officials throughout the State. It is not an administrative, but a development posting. I had to take no administrative decisions, or oversee banking transactions. In the normal course things should go smooth and tension-free, but it was destined to be otherwise.

A new Regional Manager took over at the Regional Office, Madras (now Chennai) in 1976. The style of management changed after his joining. Managers were encouraged to entertain the Regional Manager serving liquor during his frequent visits. The emphasis shifted to liquor consumption in-groups and teams and it had disastrous effects on the morale of the branch managers and business of the Bank. Cosmetic growth of deposits through juggleriess of bookkeeping entries was resorted to extensively by different Branch Managers to enjoy credit and glory without efforts. Borrowers were chosen, looking not to their credit worthiness, but the potential in them for extending hospitality and entertaining bank executives in cocktail parties.

As Development Manager I had the responsibility to visit branches under my jurisdiction every month and submit reports to Head office and the Regional office. As managers started indulging in unprincipled advances as a result of the liquor culture encouraged by the Regional Manager, my task became onerous. I took the firm stand and reported factually defective business at every branch I visited. This brought me the instant ire of the Regional Manager. The Regional Manager had close ties with selected bosses in the top. In the initial stage in 1978, the RM tried to get rid of me from the zone by recommending a transfer and posting me in Bihar (considered the Siberia in this Bank). My consent was asked for by the RM stating the proposal as coming from the chairman. I directly wrote to the chairman, stating that I would abide by his wishes. But the posting did not take place at that time. Instead I was transferred from Bangalore and posted as Sr.Manager of the Main Branch in Hyderabad, and continued to be under the same RM.