Noida: Even as the Noida Authority began sealing bank branches operating from residential areas, many bank officials are now claiming that it is likely that the Authority “misinterpreted the Supreme Court’s January 23 order.”
The State Bank of India has now approached the Supreme Court against the Authority alleging a “contempt of court” on the latter’s part.
According to SBI Lead District Manager Arun Kumar, the other affected banks too have decided to support the plea filed by SBI that is scheduled for hearing at 1pm on Thursday. According to the banks, the Authority probably “misinterpreted” the Court’s January 23 order whereby the Apex Court had directed the Noida Authority to come up with a scheme to allot alternate plots to the displaced units within a weeks’ time from the order, to ensure that those units shift within two weeks time from then and to implement the order in its entirety within six weeks.
“With the Authority having begun the sealing drive from sector 19, the remaining 83 bank branches across the city were left with no choice but to voluntarily shut operations. However, the move affects lakhs of customers and thousands of bank locker holders,” said Kumar. “Even if the banks can find alternate locations, the shifting process is not an easy one. There are some fixed RBI guidelines and paper work that must be completed that takes time. Besides, many bank officials are asking how the Authority could begin sealing bank premises since the SC had on January 23 issued guidelines to the Authority to allot alternate plots to banks,” he added.
Bank officials also alleged that the Authority “delayed” launching the scheme to allot alternate plots.
Ayesha Arvind | TNN
