The over enthusiastic Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seems to be developed `cold war’ with bankers. His attempts to push blame on them on the problems raised out of demonetization makes them irritate. Senior bank officials are practically avoiding of meeting him. For his frequent review meeting they are deputing junior officials, only to mark their presence.
In the beginning of demonetization he started conducting review meetings with bankers and senior officials of the finance department practically twice a day. Insisting bankers’ response every time and blaming them showering `non-cooperative’ attitude, created a storm among bankers.
Last month, he even went to the extent of stating “We are forced to remain helpless because of your non-cooperation despite reviewing the situation daily in the morning and evening.” Bankers became wild when Chandrababu Naidu warned then that any “lackadaisical attitude” would not be tolerated.
The problem started when bankers refuse to oblige the oral directive of the Krishna district collector A Babu to work on the last Saturday and Sunday of last month to issue RuPay cards and activating more Jan Dhan accounts. But the bankers said they had no such orders from their higher authorities.
Senior bank officials are wondering how a state government official gives them `oral instructions’. Since then top officials of the banks stopped attending the review meetings by the Chief Minister and also the marathon tele and video conferences he has been conducting frequently.
Accusing that the Chief Minister is “overstepping his jurisdiction”, a senior bank official deplored that he has been issuing orders in contravention of the guidelines being issued by RBI and their own banks.
Even senior state government officials are also seems to be disgusted with `arresting’ them for most of time with one or other review without giving them sufficient time to work. Once, Chief Secretary has reportedly politely told him “when daily you are detaining them for three to four hours, when they can attend their duties?”
