I Will Shoot Him Down

Holiday season is a nightmare for any administrator and more particularly to a bank Branch Manager. This is even more true of days when there are holidays on either side of a working day. Some of the staff members are excellent planners. They make a full plan of availing holidays during the entire year as soon as "Holiday List" for the next year is received. Their diary is marked with the declared holidays when the list is published. Then the leave for which they are entitled are apportioned to the in-between working days so that a longer period of leaving the work is ensured. This is done very efficiently even if such efficiency in planning is nowhere to be seen in any other aspects of their work. Of course, such planning is needed for those who have their own families living in another place. Branches or offices have their own methods to ensure that some skeleton staff are available on such in-between working days. There are some staff members who are either forced to work or are willing to shoulder the duties on such days.

This incident happened exactly 45 years ago during Deepavali festivals. Deepavali or Diwali is celebrated in our country during a period of 3 to 4 days, starting from Dhan Teras to Bali Padyami or Pratipada. Holidays are declared on some days and naturally there will be some in-between working days during the festive celebrations. As per the arrangement at the branch, I was one of the persons required to work on that day. There was the usual sound of crackers around the branch premises. Greetings and sweet boxes were being exchanged everywhere. 

The branch premises was opened for the day and we had taken our seats in the banking hall. A very distinguished looking customer entered the branch and went to the Branch Manager's cabin. Branch Manager greeted him warmly and the customer acknowledged the greetings. He took out some pass books and fixed deposit receipts from his leather handbag and placed them on the Branch Manager's table. Those were the days when computers were not even heard of. I was called to the cabin, given the pass books and advised to update them as the regular staff member handling this work was on leave that day.

When the ledgers were opened for updating the pass books, an interesting aspect came to light. The three pass books were with the same name - Lt Col S S Kashinath, Col S S Kashinath and Capt. S S Kashinath. The ledger accounts were however had full names. The names were Lt Col Shiva Shankar Kashinath (Retired), Col Shambu Shiva Kashinath and Capt. Shankar Shambhu Kashinath. Lt Col S S Kashinath (Retd) was the person who had come to the branch that day. 

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Those serving in the armed forces of the country are very particular about their ranks being recognised correctly. Staff handling such accounts are to be alive to the rules followed in writing their names and ranks appropriately. My branch manager had sensitised us youngsters about these requirements.

• A retired officer's name must be written as while in service and then the word (Retd) is to be added in the end. For example, Lt Col S S Kashinath had since retired from active service. His name was to be written as Lt Col S S Kashinath (Retd) and not as Lt Col (Retd) S S Kashinath. This is because of the principle that the officer holding the rank retires, but not the rank. This is to be meticulously followed.
• Letters sent by post to army personnel is sent to C/O APO (Army Post Office) as their actual place of posting is not known to us. APO would deliver the same to them at their place.
• A Lt Colonel is to be addressed as Colonel and not as Lt Colonel. However, while writing the name on paper or document or letter, it is Lt Colonel. But while addressing the person, it is Colonel.
• Similarly, a Major General or Lt General is to be addressed as General. But the envelope or document will carry the actual rank in full.
• Similar practice is to be followed for officers of other armed forces as well.

The three pass books before me were of three generation of army officers; Father, Son and Grandson. Father joined the army and had a distinguished career and retired as Lt Colonel. Son joined the army when the father was still in service and was presently serving in a forward position on the North East Frontier. The Grandson continued the family tradition and joined the army too. He was serving on the westren borders. Father and son were both highly decorated officers for their distinguished service. There was every indication that the grandson would continue on the same path. As per  the family tradition all of them had the surname Kashinath, but their names were Shiva Shankar, Shambhu Shiva and Shankar Shambhu respectively.

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After updating the passbooks, they were handed over to the customer by the Manager. The visitor took out a sheet of paper from his leather folder and gave it to the Manager. He had made some notes therein. While I was standing there for any further instructions, he spoke to the Manager thus:

"Mr Rao, we are a family of soldiers. For us, money is not that important. Myself, my son and my grandson have excellent relations between us. My son does not mind if I take his money. I will be very happy if my son or grandson take my money. That is fine between the three of us. But it does not mean that the bank can meddle with our funds. I was struggling to reconcile the balances in my account as the balance amount was much higher than it ought to have been. Then I realised that my son's salary is being credited to my account and my pension is going to him! Interest on my grandson's Term Deposits are going to my son's account. This is not acceptable to us. Should I open the accounts in three different banks to solve this problem?"

The experienced Branch Manager handled the situation very well. He politely apologised to the customer and requested for some time to study the discrepancies and settle them. The colonel agreed and said he would come in the afternoon to collect the pass books. He wanted the rectification entries to be passed so that proper balances were reflected in all the three accounts. 

We had to sort out each entry by referring to the old records. Rectification entries were passed and notes were prepared explaining the entries. Proper noting were made in the relevant records for future actions. We proceeded to lunch only after the entire exercise was completed.

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The Colonel returned to the branch in the afternoon. He verified the pass books and rectification entries. He was apparently satisfied. He thanked the Branch Manager, but said that he hoped that these things would not repeat in future. 

"Please advise your staff to handle the accounts properly. Next time when I come to the bank, I will come with my revolver. Show me the person who creates such mess. I will shoot him down!", he said while leaving the Manager's cabin.

Whether he joked or really meant it, we would never know. There was no such problem again in those accounts as long as I was in that branch. Every staff member saw a revolver pointed at him each time he saw a voucher (accounting record) relating to the account of S S Kashinath. 

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With the advent of computerisation, one hoped such instances would never happen. But that is not to be. Even now we have cases where transactions of a family or group accounts messed up due to the staff mixing up Customer-IDs and hurrying up while selecting items from drop down box in the CBS system. I had a similar case last month in one of my own accounts. May be Lt Col S S Kashinath (Retd) should visit such branches with his revolver!