Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on being asked if she was aware of the staff shortage affecting the functioning of the PSBs, mentioned that there are shortage of employees in financial sectors like banks.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Lok Sabha on Monday that as many as 41,177 positions or 5 per cent of the total sanctioned posts at public sector banks were lying vacant as of December 1. On being asked about is she was aware of the huge shortage of staff in PSBs due to which functioning has been affected, the minister replied in negative.
There are more than 8,05,986 sanctioned positions at Public Sector Banks (PSBs). Among the banks, State Bank of India (SBI) had the maximum number of vacant posts at 8,544, according to official data.
The positions are scattered across three categories, namely, the officer, clerk and sub-staff in 12 PSBs.
State Bank of India had 8,544 vacant posts, Punjab National Bank had 6,743 vacant posts, Central Bank of India 6,295, Indian Overseas Bank 5,112 and Bank of India 4,848.
At SBI, there were 3,423 vacant posts for officers and 5,121 vacancies at the clerk level.
Other PSBs are Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India, as per the data.
Citing inputs received from the PSBs, the minister said that as of December 1, this year, 95 per cent of staff is in position against the sanctioned staff strength, adding that the small proportion of vacancies is substantially attributable to attrition on account of superannuation and other usual factors.
Sitharaman also said that no post/vacancy has been abolished during the last six years in the PSBs, except one post in Punjab & Sind Bank in 2016.
Banks undertake staff recruitment to fill vacancies on an ongoing basis as per their requirement, she added.
Before the start of the Question Hour, the Lok Sabha paid tributes to nine people, including eight security personnel, who died when terrorists attacked Parliament in 2001.
The members stood in silence for a brief while as a mark of respect for the departed souls.
As soon as the House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla mentioned the security personnel and staff killed in the attack and emphasised that the resolve to fight terrorism will be strengthened.
Eight security personnel and the staff died in the attack that happened on December 13, 2001. All the five terrorists involved in the attack also died.
There are more than 8,05,986 sanctioned positions at Public Sector Banks (PSBs). Among the banks, State Bank of India (SBI) had the maximum number of vacant posts at 8,544, according to official data.