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West Bengal Gramin Bank Faces 3,754 Vacancies; AIRRBEA Slams Recruitment Mockery
West Bengal Gramin Bank faces 3,754 staff vacancies, unions allege violation of Mitra committee norms. Shortage of staff increasing burden on existing staff.
Author: Saurav Kumar
Published: 2 hours ago
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West Bengal Gramin Bank (WBGB), formed through the amalgamation of erstwhile Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank (eBGVB), Paschim Banga Gramin Bank (ePBGB) and Uttarbanga Kshetriya Gramin Bank (eUBKGB), is operating under severe staff shortage, according to a manpower assessment released by the AIRRBEA unit of WBGB.
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Massive Staff Gap Identified
As per the Mitra Committee recommendations, WBGB requires 7,589 employees, but currently has only 3,835 staff members in place. This leaves a shortfall of 3,754 posts, nearly half the sanctioned strength.
Breakdown of manpower gap (as on March 31, 2025):
Image: Requirement of WBGB as per Mitra Committee Recommendation
Despite this glaring deficit, the bank has raised an indent for only 268 recruitments, covering less than 10% of the vacancies.
Employees Allege “Mockery of Recruitment”
Employees of WBGB have described the situation as a “mockery of recruitment” in Regional Rural Banks, cautioning that the 1:2 staff-to-requirement ratio is forcing employees to shoulder unsustainable workloads.
A senior official of the bank told Kanal, “Before amalgamation, staff shortages were already severe in erstwhile PBGB and UBKGB, with over 200 branches facing acute deficits of Office Assistants. After amalgamation, these shortages only deepened, culminating in the current figure of 3,754 vacancies. Yet, the recruitment figures released fall far short of the Mitra Committee’s recommended requirement, leaving employees stretched to breaking point.”
Rising Concerns Over Service Delivery
A senior member of the WBGB Officers’ Association told Kanal, “The IBPS Common Recruitment Process (CRP) for RRBs has completely overlooked the Mitra Committee benchmarks, resulting in systematic understaffing not only in West Bengal but across several states. The recruitment numbers are a mockery.”
Union leaders warn that such deficits will inevitably affect rural credit flow, financial inclusion targets, and loan recovery performance. “How can a bank with just 3,800 staff handle business operations exceeding ₹5.15 lakh crore? It is simply unsustainable,” an AIRRBEA functionary remarked.
The demand for urgent recruitment has escalated by the unions pressing for alignment of IBPS recruitment with Mitra Committee norms. They argue that without immediate corrective measures, the manpower shortage will not only erode service quality but also undermine the bank’s ability to fulfil its rural development mandate.
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