Employees of the State Bank of India under the banner of State Bank of India Officer’s Association and State Bank of India Staff Union taking out a protest march in Shillong on Monday demanding immediate release of their colleague Subodh Kumar Mishra from Gasuapara branch in Garo Hills.- Pix by WT Lytan
SHILLONG, AUG 11: Hundreds of SBI officials in Shillong joined their counterparts in other parts of the state by taking to streets demanding the release of SBI employee Subodh Kumar Mishra who was kidnapped by armed militants from Gasuapara branch in Garo Hills on August 5.
Carrying placards that asked the abductors to-“stop making SBI employees’ soft targets for demands” during the protest march as part of statewide SBI strike on Monday to vent their ire at the frequent kidnapping of the SBI employees in the militants infested Garo hills
The SBI had called for a complete shutdown of all its 110 branches across the state including 42 in Garo Hills region to also demand from the state government to provide security and safe working environment for the employees of the bank.
The silent peace rally which started from Dhanketi ended at SBI Shillong main branch. The rally was organized by the SBI Officers’Association.
“We demand safety and security of our staff and officers serving in Meghalaya,” SBI-OA deputy general secretary, BK Dutta said here. According to him, this is not the first time that the SBI employees have been kidnapped.
Dutta said so far five cases of abduction of SBI employees has already taken place this year in Garo Hills. “We want immediate release of our staff,” he said.
Dutta informed that the apex body from Guwahati will decide whether to go for indefinite strike in Garo Hills.
Meanwhile, the association also rued the fact that even after several abduction cases of SBI employees in particular and the innocent public in general, the state government has not taken any constructive steps to protect them, especially those who are serving in the rural areas.
“Therefore, we are compelled to call the one-day strike, in order to bring to the notice of the government that we will not take such repeated act of abductions, threats, extortions against our employees lying down and also to ensure the safety and security of all our staffs members throughout Meghalaya,” Dutta added.
The association further expressed its regret on the inconvenience caused to the public and appeal to them to empathized with the problem faced by the bank employees.- By Our Reporter
Dear sir,
After lapses of 8 days police and administrative officers are not doing anything. Please ask to police and chief minister why they are sitting silently.