Page 90 - A Banker Down the Rabbit Hole

27. Non-payment of overtime

O ur bank experienced increasing Non-Performing Loans (NPAs)

in industrial and non- industrial sectors. The directions were
given to all branches to launch recovery campaigns by meeting
the borrowers and impressing upon them for recovery. If need
be, it could be filing of civil suits and filing cases under State Recovery
Act as applicable. The Zonal office directed the District Headquarter
branch to depute the Jeep and driver stationed there to nearby branches
on requisition. The deputation had to be for a week to have a faster and
wider reach to the borrowers.

On requisition, we also got a Jeep with a driver. There were instructions
to use the jeep optimally and avoid any overtime for the driver. Ours was
a semi-urban branch and the service area was large, spanning to nearby
towns and villages. On the first day, we started at 9 a.m. to contact
borrowers at their homes and found that people had left for their farming
or small business activities and were not available. On asking their family
and other people, it was found that suitable time to meet them was early
in the morning before 8.00 am and then in the evening between 6 to 8
p.m. Had we adhered to the 7 a.m. -9 p.m. schedule for really effective
use of jeep for recovery drive, we would be paying substantial overtime
@ 200% of the normal wage rate of the jeep driver and this was strictly
prohibited by the Zonal Manager.

I spoke to the driver about our dilemma. We suggested to him that he
could drive in the early morning and evening timings and take rest during
the most part of the day. But he should not claim any overtime for the
time of rest. He agreed not to claim overtime and helped in the recovery

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