Bihar Gramin Bank Officers’ Association Raises Objections over Discriminatory Promotion Process for eUBGB Staff

eUBGB (FY 2024–25): Operating profit ₹457 crore, Net profit ₹110 crore, CRAR (Credit Risk Adjusted Ratio) 10.99%.

eDBGB (FY 2024–25): Operating profit ₹371 crore, Net profit ₹4.66 crore, CRAR 2.99%.




Image: BGBOA letter highlighting promotion discrepancies and staff shortages in eUBGB compared with eDBGB
Courtesy: Pawan Kumar

Vacancy Shortages in eUBGB
The union highlighted staff shortages when compared to benchmarks suggested by the Mitra Committee. As of 31 March 2025, eUBGB required significantly higher staff strength than actually available:

Scale II to Scale III: 79
Scale I to Scale II: 134
Office Assistant to Scale I: 67
Office Assistant (Technical Diploma) to Office Assistant: 10

In contrast, eDBGB received higher numbers for the same period:

Scale II to Scale III: 100
Scale I to Scale II: 250
Office Assistant to Scale I: 125
Office Assistant (Technical Diploma) to Office Assistant: 10

BGBOA stated that this shows clear discrimination against eUBGB employees.

Backlog Vacancies
The association pointed out that in the FY 2024–25 promotion cycle, many vacancies in former Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank (eUBGB) were left unfilled and not carried forward:

Scale II to Scale III backlog: 129
Scale I to Scale II backlog: 152
Office Assistant to Scale I backlog: 71

For FY 2025–26, fresh vacancies issued were:

Scale II to Scale III: 172
Scale I to Scale II: 253
Office Assistant to Scale I: 277

BGBOA argued that ignoring backlog vacancies further disadvantaged eUBGB employees. The letter also referred to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) communication to NABARD dated 31 July 2025, which noted that promotion exercises in some Regional Rural Banks were conducted in contravention of guidelines, depriving eligible employees of their rightful promotions.

Eligibility Discrepancies
The letter explained as follows: Two officers joined on the same date, 31 March 2014 — one in the eDBGB and one in the eUBGB. In eDBGB, the officer became eligible in the 2019 promotion round (cut-off 01 April 2020) and moved to Scale II, and by 2025 was promoted again to Scale III. In eUBGB, the officer was not eligible in 2019 because the cut-off was 01 April 2019. He was promoted to Scale II only in 2020, and by the 2024 round (cut-off 01 April 2024) had just three years in Scale II, so could not move further. 
The letter said this shows eUBGB officers are two years behind their eDBGB counterparts despite having the same joining date.

‘Mere merger rather than amalgamation’
Speaking to Kanal, Pawan Kumar, President of Bihar Gramin Bank Officers’ Association (BGBOA) and Ex-General Secretary of Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank Officers’ Association (UBGBOA), said “The recent amalgamation of Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank (DBGB) and Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank (UBGB) as per the DFS guidelines seems to be a mere merger rather than amalgamation. eUBGB, despite being more profitable and financially stronger than eDBGB, has been sidelined, with all circulars and guidelines of eDBGB imposed without any dialogue with trade unions.”

He further added “This discrimination is also visible in the recently initiated promotion process for eUBGB staff, where vacancies have been deliberately kept low and backlog posts from the previous year were not considered.”

“The key aspect of amalgamation — protection of rights and inter-se seniority of employees — has been compromised, and the steering committee formed for this purpose has failed to discharge its duty, adding to the further woes of eUBGB staff,” he concluded.