The second largest public sector lender of the country, Punjab National Bank aims at attaining a business of Rs 10 lakh crore by the year 2013. The bank booked a business of Rs 4.35 lakh crore in March 2010. This appreciable growth trend of the bank may however be hit by shortage of staff.

According to the General Secretary of the All India PNB Officers' Association, K D Khera: "The bank has a staff strength of about 57,000 in all cadres. Of this, one-third would retire by 2013. The management did not draw any road map to fill in for the manpower crunch, which will be created by the employees superannuating in this number."

Khera also added that absence of a suitable sucession plan may hit the bank's business too.

The General secretary of All India PNB Employees' Federation, P R Mehta, said: "Employee salaries and other benefits constitute 16 per cent to 20 per cent of the total expenditure of the bank. The bank has been consistently banking good profits. So, recruiting another 15,000-20,000 across all cadres is a viable option for the functioning to continue smoothly."

The bank had conducted last recruitment in the year 1980. "A public-sector bank carries out operations in semi-urban and rural areas. The management should not compare us to the new generation banks, as they outsource many of their services. This brings the employee to branch ratio lower in our banks," said Asish Sen, president of the All India PNB Officers' Association.

"If the management does not not draw up a plan of action, we'll resort to protests to make our worries heard," Sen said.