Enable Covid-19 vaccination on “priority basis” for banking sector staff: Finmin
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The Department of Financial Services (DFS) in the Finance Ministry has urged the Union Home and Health Ministries to enable Covid-19 vaccination on priority basis to bank, NPCI employees – who are on the “frontline and dealing with customers and critical infrastructure for seamless banking and payment system”.
This will go a long way in assuring them about the safety of themselves and their families and will boost their morale in continuing to provide their best services to their customers, the DFS said in a communication to the Home and Health Secretaries.
‘Priority groups’
Making a case for inclusion of banking sector staff in the “priority groups” for vaccination, the DFS has highlighted that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Management of Covid-19 pandemic had in their 229th report appreciated the efforts taken by the banking sector for providing uninterrupted banking facilities during the Covid-19 outbreak and the consequent lockdown.
The Committee had, therefore, placed on record the good work done by them and recognised them as Covid-19 warriors, the DFS has said. DFS has also now pointed out that many bank officials in their efforts to provide continuous service had lost their lives.
Reliance on digital banking services
Similarity, as people’s reliance on digital modes of payment increased, it was critical to ensure that electronic and digital payments channels were available seamlessly round the clock for a safe and secure customer experience. Here the NPCI staff played a critical role, the DFS has said.
DFS has said that bank employees had played a critical role over the past one year in ensuring that bank branches remain open and functional, and providing the complete suite of banking services to their customers.
This was despite issues on mobility of bank staff to their place of work and issues in adhering to social distancing norms and other precautions. “The effort of bank staff was even more important in view of the disbursal and withdrawal of benefits transferred by the government to beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana,” the DFS has said.
India has so far covered over 9 crore citizens in its vaccination drive and has supplied over 64 million doses to over 84 countries, including 10 million doses as grant. Already Indian Banks Association, HDFC Bank and NPCI had written to the DFS seeking inclusion of bank employees in the priority list for vaccination.
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