Agartala, Jun 24, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala, Jun 24: Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB) continues to remain one of the top-ranking Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and its total business grew up by 2.50%, which is Rs.10530.77 crore as on 31-03-2022 from Rs.10273.71 Crore as on 31-03-2021, said outgoing Chairman of the Bank, Mahendra Mohan Goswami said.

Even as the TGB scripted success in most of the financial parameters, some of the burning issues remain a major concern for customers’ satisfaction and the bank’s sustainable growth.

Addressing a press conference at TGB head branch, Agartala, Goswami had to face some questions relating to the banking services and interests of its employees, especially Daily Wage (DW) employees.

The TGB witnessed several movements held by different employee bodies highlighting the lack of infrastructure in branches, shortage of manpower, and increasing the wages of DW.
It may be noted, even as its business grew by 2.50 per cent – the bank has no operational ATM counters, not even in Agartala, reportedly due to software-related issues. The issues are yet to be addressed.

A slow network system is another long-standing problem that the customers, as well as the employees, are facing.

Even as there are reports of customers’ hardship due to a shortage of manpower, Goswami refuted that there was any manpower issue.

“During my tenure, I conducted recruitment regularly”, he commented.

Much of the success of the TGB is due to hard-working Daily Wage employees. The issue of hiking their wages is one of the contentious issues which remained unsolved. The management assured that wages would be hiked – but that is yet to be materialized.

Commenting on this, Goswami said, TGB is paying more wages than the rate of the State government. However, Goswami assured that management is compassionately pondering the wage increase issue. The unsolved pending issues are likely to put the new Chairman under pressure. Satyendra Singh will be the new Chairman in place of the outgoing Goswami.

According to the financial report disclosed Goswami, apart from an increase in total business, deposits increased by 1.97% Year-on-Year basis - Deposits increased to Rs.7718.34 crore as on 31-03-2022 from Rs. 7569.57 crore as on 31-03-2021. The CD Ratio of the Bank stood at 36.44% as on 31-03-2022.
Even as the net profit of the Bank dropped from Rs 200.03 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 143.14 crore in 2021-22, the  Operating profit increased to Rs.282.40 as on 31-03-2022 from Rs. 260.25 Crore as on 31-03-2021 registering a substantial growth of 8.51%.

The Bank disbursed Rs.1369.49 crore under different lending schemes during the financial year 2021-22. The TGB disbursed Rs.1369.49 crore under different lending schemes during the financial year 2021-22.

Notably Per Branch business has gone up to Rs.71.15 crore as on 31-03-2022 from Rs. 69.42 crore as on 31-03-2021. Also, per employee business stood at Rs.12.70 crore as on 31-03-2022. Goswami recognized the role of the employees in the successive success story of the bank.