Page 37 - A Banker Down the Rabbit Hole

calculator and I should sign to authorize the amounts and get it posted
to ledger accounts by the concerned assistant. I wondered why he was
asking me to authorize the interest sheet when he had already checked
and he could have signed it also.

But I remembered the principle that every primary work needs to be
checked by another officer to ensure accuracy even if it has been done
by another staff or an officer. I started checking the interest amounts.
He passed by me and found me doing this. He expressed displeasure that
when he had told me to sign it as he himself had applied the interest
with calculator in view of huge work pressure of closing day. I requested
him not to mind as checking by other person ensures accuracy. But he
reported this matter to the Branch Head as he was under intense pressure
to complete the whole work by closing time of the day.

The Branch Head called me to enquire into the matter as Second in
Command was afraid that my checking of his calculations already done
would delay the completion of work. I put the same logic before him also.
I reported to him an error already detected by me where perhaps one
zero key was omitted to be pressed and the interest amount was shown
as Rs. 6000/- approx., as against Rs. 60,000/- approx., exactly one tenth
of the actual interest amount in one single largest term loan account of
the branch. I assured him that whatever work had been assigned to me
I would finish in time, but I should have the freedom to check and approve
the interest calculations after that.

I had a valid ground with a ready example to prove my point. Moreover,
I had not given them any chance to complain for completing my allocated
work earlier also. There was no further reaction from them on this.

Mistakes may repeat like history repeats itself

I had an opportunity once to be deputed for revenue audit of two large
branches controlled by the Zonal office where I was then posted. The
scope of revenue audit was to check whether the rates of interest on all

34 | A Banker down the Rabbit Hole