Letter to NBOA & NBOA's Reply on Promotion Issue

Text of a letter sent to the GS, AINBOA followed by NBOA's Reply

The General Secretary,

NBOA
 
 Dear Sir,

Promotion Process –C to D- 2013

We write this letter on the issue of the Promotion Process of the Bank in the current year after careful consideration and its ramifications. We state this as members of the NBOA and request that the letter be read with an open mind. The primary issue relates to the delay in effecting promotions from C to D whereas the process has been taken to its logical conclusions for other grades. The issues are as follows–

1. The 77 officers empaneled for promotion to Grade D are members and have supported the NBOA in all its causes over the years. Hence the concerns of these members should also be protected by NBOA.

2. Kindly do note that the NBOA did not call for a boycott/voluntary relinquishment of the test/ process at any stage, especially after the announcement of the promotion process. Perhaps, this should have been addressed at the initial stage itself.

3. The National Council at Shimla which met just before the written exam did not issue any call for a boycott also to its members. 

4. We logically feel that the NBOA needs to reapply itself to the issue and to re-consider every clause/sub clause raised at the High Court as the officers at all grades have  appeared voluntarily for the interview / test and that also without any clear message from the NBOA before or during the process was being initiated / undergone.

5. Incidentally, Officers promoted to Grades E & F as per the new promotion policy have accepted the promotion readily without any apparent protest.

6. Since the High Court did not stay the process at any stage (from December 2012), the officers have appeared for the test / interview. This has led to a situation where the NBOA is duty bound to oversee the interests of the officers who have been promoted / considered eligible for promotion. The stay should have been actively sought during January 2013 – May 2013 by the NBOA. Now the process of effecting promotion has been completed upto Grade E and the process of promotion is under way for other grades (A to B).

7. Kindly note that officers who are undergoing the process / are considered eligible already / promoted already would be severely affected in terms of morale if the NBOA would take action against their interests / concerns solely. 

8. We as members request that the NBOA understand, accept and empathise with our concerns and address the same while pursuing any course of action. This is important as all members are on an equal footing.

9. The issue may be resolved amicably at the earliest in the interest of all the members of the NBOA.

10. The NBOA may consider the possibility of a solution with the Management on a very urgent basis accordingly. Any delay is going to seriously affect the present and future  prospects of officers in the Bank.

NBOA’s Reply

DEAR MEMBERS,

POINTWISE REPLY IS AS THIS –

    FIRST AND FOREMOST GREETINGS ON NABARD DAY TO YOU AND NABARD PARIVAR.

    

    1. AINBOA IS FOR ALL ITS MEMBERS, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PROMOTED UNDER THIS PROCESS AND ALSO FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DENIED A FAIR OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION DUE TO A POLICY WHICH WAS PREPARED AND IMPLIMENTED BY A STUBBORN MANAGEMENT WITHOUT GIVING CREDENCE AND WITHOUT TAKING AINBOA ON BOARD, INSPITE OF OUR REPEATED REQUESTS-BOTH IN WRITING AND VERBAL-THE LATEST BEING ON 04/07/2013 ITSELF, A RECALCITRANT MANAGEMENT HAS YET TO RESPOND. IF YOU WANT YOU CAN CHECK THE BLOG TO CONFIRM WHATEVER WE HAVE WRITTEN. INCIDENTALLY, THE NC AT SHIMLA HAS PASSED A RESOLUTION URGING THE BANK TO INITIATE DISCUSSIONS AND THE SAME WAS COMMUNICATED TO THE BANK...WE ARE AWAITING THE RESPONSE. (I THINK IT ANSWERS YOUR QUERY RAISED AT POINTS NO. 1, 9 &
 10)

 

2. REGARDING BOYCOTT- WE MET AT SHIMLA ON 16/05 AND THE PROCESS OF INTERVIEWS FOR 'E' TO 'F' WAS ON THE WAY...BEFORE THAT WE HAVE CONTACTED A FEW PROBABLES AND RESPONSE WAS- WE WILL ABIDE BY COURTS DECISION AS AND WHEN IT COMES-ONLY ONE MEMBER SAID THAT I WILL RESPECT THE BOYCOTT CALL IF GIVEN-IF YOU WANT WE CAN GIVE THE NAMES TOO-THOUGH IT IS NOT PERTINENT. STILL WE (OFFICE-BEARER) PUT TO VOTE THE PROPOSAL OF BOYCOTT AT THE NC-BUT GREAT MAJORITY OF NC MEMBERS OUT VOTED IT SAYING THAT SINCE 'D' TO 'E' IS AUTOMATIC EXERCISE AND 'E' TO 'F' HAS ALREADY STARTED IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO PERSUADE GRADE 'C' NOT TO PARTICIPATE. MORE SO THEY ALSO SAID THAT NOW THAT THE POLICY IS SUBJUDICE LET COURT DECIDE. INCIDENTALLY, AS MANY AS 20 OF THE PROBABLE GRADE 'C' WERE ALSO CONTACTED INFORMALLY FOR A FEEDBACK AND AGAIN MOST OF TRHEM AIRED THE SAME VIEW THAT BOYCOTT IS NOT AN ANSWER WHEN IT IS SUBJUDICE...ANYWAYS NBOA FUNCTIONS DEMOCRATICALLY AND AS PER BYE-LAWS-NC DECIDED BY A GREAT MAJORITY VOTE NOT TO BOYCOTT - SO NO CALL WAS GIVEN.

3. NBOA'S STAND ON THE ISSUE IS CLEAN AND CLEAR-WILL GO BY COURTS DECISION BUT IF MANAGEMENT WANTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AMICABLY WITH AN HONOURABLE SOLUTION FOR ALL WE ARE READY FOR IT AT ANY STAGE. INCIDENTALLY YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE CLAUSES/SUB CLAUSES OF WP FILED BY NBOA-WE HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THE CLAUSES AS EXPLAINED TO US BY OUR SENIOR COUNSEL. KINDLY YOU ALSO GO TO THE CLAUSE/S OF THE BANKS REJOINDER FILED IN THE COURT OF LAW-WHICH SAYS THAT BANK IS HAVING MORE THAN 300 VACANCIES LYING TO BE FILLED UP IN VARIOUS GRADES-WHERE ARE THOSE AND WHY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED UP TILL NOW? SECONDLY THE BANK ITSELF HAS SAID IN THE REJOINDER THAT 'BANK IS READY TO TALK/DISCUSS WITH  NBOA EVEN AT THIS STAGE'-WHO HAS STOPPED THEM FOR NOT INITIATING THE DISCUSSIONS TILL THIS DATE?

   

    4. BANK HAS GIVEN A COMMITMENT IN THE COURT NOT TO FINALISE THE PROCESS, BUT CUNNINGLY THEY WAITED FOR THE COURT VACATION-AND THEN ANNOUNCED THE PROCESS-KNOWING FULLY WELL THAT GETTING A STAY FROM A VACATION BENCH IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE-SO WHO IS HOODWINKING WHOM YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF. 

  5. STILL NBOA EXPLORED ALL THE POSSIBILITIES OF GETTING A STAY FROM OTHER CENTRES-BUT NO ONE WAS READY TO BE A PETITIONER AND RIGHTLY TOO AS IT REQUIRES A LOT OF GUTS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO COME ON THE FRONT AGAINST A MIGHTY MANAGEMENT. SO DONT SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT MADE THE EFFORTS-PLEASE NOTE THE VAGARIES OF JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF OUR COUNTRY-ITS TIME CONSUMING BUT FAIR IN THE END.

6. NOW THE MATTER IS IN THE COURT AND NBOA-EVEN IF IT WISHES (THOUGH WE DONT HAVE ANY REASON TO WISH SO TILL NC DIRECTS US TO DO SO) CANNOT UNILATERALLY WITHDRAW THE CASE-COURT WILL PASS STRICTURES AGAINT NBOA AND PETITIONERS FOR WASTING THE VALUABLE TIME AND CAN IMPOSE PENALTY TOO-YOU BEING A KNOWLEDGABLE PERSON MUST BE KNOWING THAT OUT OF COURT SETTLEMENTS ARE DONE FORMALLY, BILATERALLY AND BETWEEN THE PETIONER/S AND RESPONDENTS-NOT UNILATERALLY.

7. FINALLY, IF YOU HAVE GOT A BETTER, LEGITIMATE, WORKABLE AND HONOURABLE SOLUTION TO OFFER, PLEASE DO SO AND WE WILL SERIOUSLY WORK ON IT...HOPE IT CLARIFIES OUR STAND AND YOU AND ALL OTHER MEMBERS SHALL REMAIN UNITED WITH NBOA FOR SHAPING A BETTER NABARD TOMORROW...LETS TAKE A HOLISTIC VIEW ON THE ISSUE RISING ABOVE INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS....ITS VERY VERY DIFFICULT BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE....JUST TRY...INCIDENTALLY IF YOU AND OTHER FRIENDS WOULD HAVE SENT AN EMAIL TO ME/NBOA SEEKING BOYCOTT BEFORE OR AFTER NC PROBABLY IT WOULD HAVE HELPED THOSE IN NBOA WHO WERE FOR BOYCOTT TAKE CARE AND THANX FOR SHARING YOUR VIEWS...

DR D S CHAUHAN

GS