Association for more branches in un-banked rural areas
BS Reporter / Chennai/ Hyderabad August 18, 2007
The All-India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has demanded that the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) open more bank branches in un-banked rural areas across the country.
“Banks which deal with the hard-earned savings of the common people should benefit the masses. But, there is a calculated change in the direction, and policies are in favour of the corporates and against the interest of the ordinary banking public. The RBI had issued licences to 937 bank branches last year, of which only two were opened in non-banked rural areas,” BS Rambabu, general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Bank Employees’ Federation (APBEF), told mediapersons here on Friday. APBEF is affiliated to AIBEA.
AIBEA has launched a national campaign on various issues affecting the banking industry and common people.
The association’s other demands include increase of interest rates on small savings deposits, implementation of micro-financing only through commercial, regional rural and cooperative banks, and stringent measures for recovery of bad loans, bringing willful default under criminal offence and publishing a list of bank loan defaulters by the government and the regulator.
According to Rambabu, about 5,000 bank employees and officers will stage a dharna in front of the Parliament during the monsoon session.
“The campaign will culminate with the submission of mass petitions to the Prime Minister on August 31, 2007,” he added.
Association for more branches in un-banked rural areas
BS Reporter / Chennai/ Hyderabad Aug 18, 2007, 21:04 IST
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