Gujarat elections: Poll call hits work at schools & banks

With assembly elections inching closer, work pace at many nationalised banks, government schools and other state government offices have slowed down. Reason? Election commission has pulled out officials from these institutions for election duty and training. The tardy pace has hit routine work at these places leaving many customers and students in government schools waiting to finish their routine tasks.

“Basic chores like passbook entry and deposit of money were not taking place in State Bank of India (SBI) on Friday as the workforce was engaged in a daylong training programme,” complained Nishith Dave, a customer. Agreeing to the hassles faced by the customers, official from SBI, RJ Mankodi, said that only emergency services were available at the bank as majority of its employees were involved in full-day election training. “However, there will be no major problems with the availability of core banking facility,” he added.

Similarly, primary school teachers in government school too have received orders of 15 days election duty for which it is mandatory to attend at least three days. “The duty is divided in to two shifts. The afternoon shift, which I am allotted, begins at 2pm. Students of primary section are bound to suffer during this time as the schools will be functioning during afternoons,” said Vijay Parmar, a government primary school teacher.

Primary schools will function with minimal teachers during the training programme and one teacher will be handling two to three subjects.