Page 121 - A Banker Down the Rabbit Hole

borrowers. Secondly, this was a sunrise sector with very good demand
for commercial and passenger vehicles and level of NPAs (Non-Performing
Assets or bad loans) was much lower than other kinds of corporate loans.
Lastly, bank could meet their priority sectors targets faster by granting
such high value loans.

The branch where I was currently posted was an urban branch. They had
granted loans for purchase of passenger vehicles to several borrowers.
The new Branch Head was a no-nonsense clean person. He started an
equally rigorous follow up of loans after his joining as rigorous was the
campaign of granting loans by previous incumbent.

This Branch Head found that about 50% transport loans were having over
dues. He spotted a loan account for running a fleet of buses where only
one installment had been received and remaining 12 monthly installments
were not paid yet. He got alarmed and decided to follow up with these
borrowers on priority. He took help of local staff to trace the address and
went to meet this borrower. He turned out to be a senior office-bearer
of state unit of the ruling political party. He was astonished to see huge
crowds of people waiting to meet him at his residence in a large hall.
The accompanying local staff told him that he held a 'Durbar' equivalent
of a "King's Court " every week where people from their area used to
come, narrate their complaints or requirements for their help in getting
redressal or their due benefits from the administration or getting their
disputes between third parties resolved.

The Branch Head had to wait in the same hall to meet them. He did not
consider it proper to divulge the details of their loan accounts in public
as he was duty bound to maintain secrecy of affairs of conduct of
accounts of a customer be it a depositor or borrower. He requested him
to meet separately. He kept him waiting till the 'Durbar' or so called
"Court" was over and heard him. He told that he would gradually repay
the loan and Branch Head need not to come again to meet him. The
Branch Head impressed upon him that he came to meet after there was

118 | A Banker down the Rabbit Hole