Does Transfer Policy Adversely Affect Office Assistants in RRBs?

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are facing intensified scrutiny over the revised transfer policy issued earlier this year, with growing concern that one specific clause disproportionately impacts Office Assistants (OAs)—the largest segment of the RRB workforce.

Image: Transfer of Office Assistants as mentioned in the transfer policy

A Clause that Clerical Staff Say is Discriminatory
An employee of Kerala Gramin Bank (KGB) told Kanal, “The 10-year transfer clause for Office Assistants is unjust. It does not exist in commercial banks—which are the very sponsor banks of RRBs. Why should RRB clerical staff alone face this burden?”

Employee unions argue that the clause introduces a new layer of instability into a cadre traditionally viewed as branch-anchored, customer-centric and operationally essential.

A member of the Tamil Nadu Grama Bank Employees Union (TNGBEU) echoed the concern, “OAs in commercial banks do not face compulsory transfers to distant regions, but RRB OAs do. This is discriminatory. Many clerical staff are avoiding promotions just to stay in one place. That itself shows how unsettling this clause is.”

Long Distance Postings Undermine Branch Efficiency
Employees say that the policy’s impact is not merely personal—but operational.

An OA from Kerala Gramin Bank explained, “After completing just two years of tenure in a difficult region, we are again transferred hundreds of kilometres away because of the cascading effect of the 10-year cycle. This disrupts branch efficiency and breaks the customer–staff rapport that RRBs depend on.”

Clerical staff point out that Office Assistants often serve as institutional memory keepers in rural branches—handling cash work, documentation, local interactions and the day-to-day stability of the branch. Frequent movement, they argue, contradicts the very purpose of rural banking continuity.

A member of the AIRRBEA affiliated Telangana Grameena Bank Employees Union (TGBEU) said, “RRBs function in remote, agriculturally dependent districts. OAs are the face of the bank for thousands of villagers. Forced transfers undermine service delivery and cause hardship—especially for women employees.”

Different Rules for RRBs and Commercial Banks?
A recurring argument from unions is the unequal treatment within the same banking ecosystem.

While sponsor banks—SBI, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, etc.—do not enforce such transfer norms on their own clerical staff, RRB Office Assistants are being subjected to region-wide mobility mandates.

Union members say this breaks the principle of parity that RRBs have long demanded in HR policies.

As concerns mount from Kerala to Telangana and Tamil Nadu, the transfer clause for Office Assistants is rapidly emerging as a flashpoint within RRBs. Employees argue that clerical mobility requirements should reflect operational realities, regional sensitivities and parity with commercial bank practices.

The pivotal question now is whether the authorities—DFS, NABARD and sponsor banks—will revisit this clause and ensure that transfer norms safeguard both employee welfare and the rural service continuity that RRBs were created to uphold.