Mumbai (The Hawk): The public sector State Bank of India's Govandi Branch is believed to have shifted its weekly off from Sundays to Fridays with effect from December 1, in a decision that has drawn criticism from some quarters.
This Monday, a sign to that effect was posted outside the branch's building. The action is reportedly being taken to help the minority community that lives in and around the northeastern suburb of Govandi.
Top SBI officials were not accessible for comment on the potentially contentious decision, which was apparently made at the local levels, despite repeated attempts.
The SBI Govandi Branch will be closed every Friday and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month starting on December 1, according to the announcement.
The notice's stated business hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. everyday will apply from Sunday through Thursday.
Some people were concerned that even the SBI Millenium Branch in Dadar would follow suit, but branch officials flatly denied the accusations on Tuesday.
In addition, certain branches of other banks in the city and in other regions of the nation offer a Sunday half-day working, which is offset by full Saturdays off, for the convenience of the locals.
Social media users were outraged by the Govandi SBI Branch's decision to close on Fridays to "meet the expectations of the local demographics" and demanded regional cooperation for uniformity in the affected areas.
In the digital age, where the majority of banking activities are carried out online, "there's little meaning to weekly offs or public holidays," according to banking circles, as bank operations continue regardless of the calendar dates.
(Inputs from Agencies)