All Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks will function normally on Sunday, 27 September, the Finance Ministry has said, as the government moves to shield customers from a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for a strike from 28 to 30 September, which coincides with the preceding weekend holidays of 26 and 27 September. With the strike threatening to disrupt banking services for an extended stretch, the government said it has taken proactive steps to safeguard the genuine banking needs of the public.
The Reserve Bank of India has granted approval for all bank branches, offices, ATM-link branches and currency chests to remain fully operational on 27 September, the ministry said in a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau.
The Department of Financial Services said the welfare and convenience of bank customers remains the government's foremost priority.
It added that the government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to defer the proposed strike, while also taking measures to ensure that essential banking services continue uninterrupted through the disruption.
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The UFBU's strike call, if it proceeds as planned, would affect banking operations across the country from 28 to 30 September, on top of the preceding weekend closures.
The government's decision to keep banks open on the intervening Sunday is aimed at limiting the cumulative impact on customers to a shorter window, rather than a continuous five-day shutdown.
The Finance Ministry's statement did not specify further contingency measures beyond keeping Sunday operations running as usual.
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