As bank mergers loom, PSB contractual workers stare at job losses

Most PSBs have already been closing down ATMs, as well as doing away with security guards in the existing ones

At 43, Kudrati Khuda Mullick is no longer eligible for most competitive examinations, but has cleared written tests for recruitment in seven central and state government services. An MA in English, Mullick had even cleared the final test for appointment as a clerk at the state directorate of agriculture services. However, a last-minute dispute led to the cancellation of the exam. In 2014, Mullick finally made peace with a job as a security guard at a public sector bank (PSB) ATM on the outskirts of Kolkata.

But his fortunes changed earlier this year. For the last one and a half months,