New Delhi:
The ministry of finance(MoF) has asked the state governments and union territories to provide Covid-19 vaccination to the employees of banks and insurance companies on a priority basis.
In a recent letter to the chief secretaries of state government Madnesh Mishra, joint secretary, MoF, has said all the officers/ staff of banks, insurance companies and other service providers who have not been vaccinated so far are anxious to get themselves vaccinated at the earliest.
“In the light of the recent government's decision to open up vaccination to all persons above the age of 18 years from 1st May 2021.,I would request you to kindly consider putting in place a special dispensation in your State/UT, to enable the employees/ staff of banks and insurnace companies to avail of vaccination easily and on priority basis.This will go a long way in assuring them about their safety/life and will also boost their morale in continuing to provide their best services to customers.'' said Mishra.
Mishra has lauded the other service providers including NPCI,payment system providers/ operators/ vendors, cash logistic companies/ cash-in-transit companies/ ATM maintenance personnel, Banking Correspondents (BCs) and Customer Service Points (CSPs) who have played a critical role in ensuring that their branches / offices remain open and functional and continue to provide the complete suite of financial services to their customers including ATM and micro ATM networks despite issues in mobility and adherence to social distancing precautions.
Unfortunately, in their efforts to provide continuous service, many officials have succumbed to the virus and some of them also lost their lives, said Mishra.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Management of CoVID- L9 pandemic and related issues, in their 229th report formally noted and appreciated the efforts and pain taken by the banking sector for providing uninterrupted and seamless banking facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak and consequent lockdown,and the committee has, therefore, placed on record the good work done by them and has also recognized them as CoVID-19 warriors.