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Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju has asked chief secretaries of all states to protect bank staff and ensure uninterrupted public access to banking.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary of all States and Union territories, Nagaraju emphasised the need to safeguard bank staff and maintain uninterrupted banking services for the public to meet daily financial needs and economic activities.

"News reports and social media coverage in the recent past highlighted disturbing incidents of anti-social elements behaving aggressively with bank staff within bank premises, which includes verbal abuse, physical assault and even disruption of operations," the Department of Financial Services (DFS) Secretary said.

These are the unlawful actions which discourage the morale of bank staff and undermine public trust in the safe delivery of banking services, he said.

"Such actions must be dealt with firmly and promptly, with deterrent legal measures to protect bank staff and ensure uninterrupted public access to banking," he said.

The financial services secretary further requested states to issue suitable advisories to sensitise and instruct District Magistrates and the State Police to take all preventive measures to avoid such incidents in bank branches, including deployment of local police/patrolling during peak banking hours at vulnerable locations.

"Ensure prompt and effective response to such complaints by the designated law enforcement agencies and take strong and deterrent action against perpetrators under relevant provisions," he said in his letter.

These measures will enhance public trust, provide a secure environment for bank employees and facilitate the effective delivery of banking services, he said.

Rising incidences of attacks on bankers led bank unions to ask management to beef up security at branches. In some cases, women staff and officers were harassed by customers. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)