Baroda UP Bank Employees Union Urges UP Govt to Address Three-Year Recruitment Standstill

India’s largest Regional Rural Bank (RRB), the Uttar Pradesh-based Baroda UP Bank (BUPB), is experiencing significant turmoil due to a recruitment freeze. The Baroda UP Bank Employees’ Union (BUPBEU) has addressed this pressing issue by writing a letter to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The letter, penned by the Basti unit of BUPBEU on June 7, 2024, highlights that the state government holds a 15% stake in BUPB, which operates 1986 branches. Despite its vast network, the bank is in a dire situation due to inadequate recruitment of manpower.

No Recruitment in Three Years

The BUPBEU letter reveals that the bank management has not conducted any recruitment in recent three years, resulting in 1983 branches being staffed by only 2336 clerical staff, highlighting a troubling trend of staff shortages. Shivam Dwivedi, one of the Regional Secretaries of BUPBEU, expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “India’s largest RRB is facing an acute shortage of staff. From FY20 to FY24, the bank saw a 16% decline in staff, while its business grew by 39%. This contradiction is alarming, especially since there has been no recruitment in the past three years, despite numerous reminders and appeals.”

Image: Baroda UP Bank Employees Union letter on delayed recruitment

UP CM’s Recruitment Directive 

The letter includes a recent directive from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the urgency of addressing vacancies across various departments.

On June 6, 2024, the Office of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh posted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) says that “Departments with vacancies and pending appointments should immediately send requisitions to the selection commissions. To streamline the appointment process, the e-requisition system should be utilised. Before sending a requisition, thoroughly review the rules. Contact the selection commissions, send accurate requisitions, and set a timeline for the selection process.”

Image: Tweet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

The letter also emphasises that the bank’s frozen recruitment has left at least 5000 youths unemployed. Despite the bank’s profitable performance, the lack of recruitment is viewed as a deliberate effort to withhold benefits from the public.

Sponsor Bank’s High Hand

An official of BUPB, speaking to Kanal on the condition of anonymity, alleged that the lack of recruitment in recent years, despite credible performance, suggests a concerning trend. “According to Baroda UP Bank’s management, higher officials at the sponsor bank, Bank of Baroda, have blocked the recruitment drive despite the bank's strong performance,” he said.

The official suggested that the control over filling vacancies at Baroda UP Bank is influenced by the sponsor bank, headquartered in Gujarat, pointing to possible Union government involvement.

Baroda UP Bank has recently seen significant distress among branch managers and employees, who reported unprofessional treatment by Regional Managers, few of whom are also facing allegations of unethical practices.

In the past week, the Joint Forum of Bank of Baroda Sponsored RRB Unions have raised concerns about the unfilled vacancies in Bank of Baroda sponsored banks such as Baroda UP Bank, Baroda Rajasthan Gramin Bank, and Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank, highlighting the negative impact on employees.

Despite Baroda UP Bank’s impressive financial performance in FY24, the ongoing recruitment freeze in Bank of Baroda-sponsored gramin banks signals a severe staff shortage indicating possible deliberate attempts to undermine the bank's operations.