Unions seek to know if banks will be open on lockdown days in Bengal

Bank unions on Wednesday sought clarification from the West Bengal government whether banking services are exempted from the fresh lockdown to be imposed twice a week.

Bank unions on Wednesday sought clarification from the West Bengal government whether banking services are exempted from the fresh lockdown to be imposed twice a week. The administration has decided to impose total lockdown in the entire state on two days every week till August to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases. The shutdown would be clamped on Thursday and Saturday this week.

The measure will be enforced on Wednesday next week and the second day will be announced later. The government had on Monday issued a notification directing that all bank branches in the state would remain closed on Saturdays.

West Bengal state secretary of All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) Sanjoy Das said that as per the previous lockdown orders, banking services were exempted and banks continued rendering their services to people during that period. Convenor of West Bengal unit of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Siddhartha Khan echoed a similar voice stating that the government should clarify whether banking services are kept out of the purview of the fresh lockdown.

Over 2,000 employees of state-run and private banks of West Bengal have been affected by COVID-19, Das had said earlier..