Bhubaneswar: Banks across the state witnessed a steady flow of customers on Sunday after the Union finance ministry directed them to remain open with normal operations ahead of the proposed nationwide bank strike scheduled from Sept 28 to 30.Several branches of public sector banks (PSBs) and regional rural banks (RRBs) reported a steady footfall, with customers visiting to complete cash transactions, cheque clearances, account-related work and loan formalities before the proposed disruption.Bank officials said the rush was noticeably a bit higher than on a typical working day, as many people did not want to postpone urgent banking activities. “We were instructed to ensure normal functioning and adequate staffing. There was a decent rush throughout the day,” said a bank official in the city.The proposed strike has triggered concern among customers who rely on physical banking services, especially for cash deposits, loan repayments and business transactions. While digital banking remains available, many customers preferred visiting branches to avoid uncertainty. “I had planned to deposit cheques later this week, but after hearing of the strike I decided to finish the work today. The branch was a little crowded, which shows many people had the same idea,” said Dasarathi Nayak, a resident of Nayapalli.Small traders also used the opportunity to complete banking work. “We cannot afford delays in business payments. Since banks are open today, I came to clear all pending transactions,” said Manoj Sahoo, who runs a wholesale grocery outlet in Unit-I market.Bank employees said customers frequently enquired about the strike and whether services would be affected next week. Some customers were seen updating passbooks and withdrawing cash as a precautionary measure.A senior official of a public sector bank said operational preparedness was enhanced to manage the anticipated crowd. “All regular services were available, and branches worked as per normal business hours. The objective was to minimise inconvenience to customers before the strike period,” said the official.
