Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down

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Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down

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Public and private banks in India are shoring up to work through the pandemic. Even though a 21-day lock down was enforced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, select branches will remain operational to provide citizens with essential services.

Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down
Some banks have placed sanitsers at ATMsBCCL

Even before the lockdown was called on March 24, banks were already finding innovative ways to implement social distancing. Many roped up counters and desks to keep at least a meter of distance between branch officers and customers. Hand sanitizers have also been placed at all windows, outside the branch and at ATMs.

The Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) has asked all banks to maintain at least four services for its customers:

  • Cash deposits and withdrawal
  • Clearing cheques
  • Remittances
  • Government transactions

Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down
Other banks set up more strict barricadesBI India

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Even though banks are an essential service, some bankers aren’t being allowed to leave their home by state authorities, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). To address the situation the Ministry of Finance has written to the chief secretaries of all states to allow the physical movement of bank employees.

Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down
Counters and windows at banks have been roped off to keep customers at a safe distanceBI India

“It is expected that people’s need for and reliance on electronic and digital modes of payment, and ATMs for cash withdrawals, will be greater in the days to come,” said the letter by Madnesh Kumar Mishra, joint secretary to the government of India.

Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down
Notices have been put up asking customers to keep a distance of one meter when they're in lineBI India

In Chandigarh, the administration has issued a list of 27 branches that will be allowed to stay open even though there’s a curfew imposed on the city. In Mumbai, where a curfew has also been imposed, government-owned Bank of Baroda is reimbursing its employees with ₹200 a day to cover their transit costs as public transportation shut down.

Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down
ATMs and other bank facilities being sanitisedBCCL

Canara Bank took a different approach. It is going to credit each employee’s salary with an extra ₹1,000 at the end of the month for sanitizer, masks and other sanitary supply expenditures.
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Here's how Indian banks will operate during the 21-day lock down
Some banks are using make shift techniques like using laundry lines to set up a perimeter to enforce social distancingBI India

See also:
Here's how a 21-day lockdown might help break the Covid-19 chain

A whole lot of doctors reportedly forced to reuse same mask for a week are crying for support

Here’s what you can access during the 21-day lockdown across India


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