Newspaper report says that government is contemplating downsizing nationalised banks in view of huge net losses incurred by them and there is good reason to do that. The main reason behind losses is connivance of senior bank officials with big borrowers to the mutual benefit of both parties. Added to this is the corrupt practices of trade union leaders. Lower level officers and staff are not a party to this game.

As a number of bank branches have merged recently, and there may be some more mergers in near future, according to the logic of economics it may demand some downsizing. Lower level officers and staffs may would suffer while the senior officers who are the main culprits are likely to survive the cut. Hence the government should be very cautions and careful in carrying out the exercise.

Apart from this, there is a humanitarian side also. A person suddenly finding himself unemployed without proper reason may be a threat to social stability. Every year a good number of people are retiring in normal course. It is suggested that there should be no recruitment against resultant vacancies. In this process ideal size of manpower can be reached within two to three years. Will the Finance Ministry and Prime Minister's secretariat give a thought to this.