Punjab: Bankers object to ‘21 holidays in October’ post

LUDHIANA: Government bank employees are furious over the viral social media posts and reports claiming that the banks would remain closed for 21 days in October. According to the employees, the banks of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh would only remain closed for two working days in October. Bankers have taken to social media and started an online campaign against the fake messages.
Speaking on the issue, Rohit Kakkar, circle secretary of All India Punjab National Bank Officers Association (AIPNBOA), Ludhiana said, “It is shocking that some people and certain sections of media always choose to sensationalise bank holidays by falsely exaggerating and twisting the facts. Presently, it has been widely circulated that there are as many as 21 bank holidays during October, 2022, which is far from reality. Given the vastness and diversity of India, holidays in banks are not uniform throughout the country, and differ from state to state. A holiday in Bihar may not necessarily be a holiday in Punjab. During October, 2022, only four holidays have been declared for Punjab, Haryana and Himachal, and two of them fall on Sundays. So, banks will remain closed only for two working days in the three states.”
He added that the bank employees were already overburdened and have to work not only well beyond working hours, but even on Sundays.
AIPNBOA city vice president Sahil Sareen said, “This fake news that has been doing rounds on the internet, is instilling fear in the minds of the customers. Such misleading information tarnishes the image of banks which have detrimental effects on the economy. Social media users and news portals reporting such claims should desist from spreading misinformation.”
City association circle president Dinesh Kumar said, “From past some time, it has become a trend to post fake messages about bank holidays. The motive is to get likes and views , but it ends up projecting the government-sector bankers in a bad light. We request the public not to believe in such posts. There is no need to panic for customer service or cash running dry in ATMs, as there are only two working days when the banks would remain closed.”