Mangaluru: Bankers gathered in large numbers outside Deputy Commissioner’s office to protest against the unwanted banking reforms and measures by the government, which would ultimately lead to closure of the public sector banks. The bankers were protesting after responding to the call for strike given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), on July 29.
All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) Secretary Raghava said that the protest is intended at safeguarding the public sector banks, which are the true assets of the country.

He said that as first step to the detrimental banking policies, the central government has decided to merge the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Travancore (SBT), State Bank of Patiala (SBP), State Bank of Mysore (SBM) and State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) with the SBI and assumably the next step would be to merge 27 nationalised banks with six other banks.

“This move would cut down the number of branches drastically. The merger of banks means closing down of number of branches and creation of unemployment,” he said alleging the central government and the Indian Banks Association (IBA) is systematically conspiring to execute the same.
Raghava opined that while merger was not the solution to reform banks, he said the only way to reform the banking sector is to recover the Non Performing Assets loans, which is not being looked at as an option at all.

He attacked the government by stating that willful defaulter Vijay Mallya has managed to escape under the nose of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate by defaulting several crores.

Vincent D’Souza, convenor of UFBU, Vishwanath Pai, member of AIBEA and others were present.