Date:29/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/08/29/stories/2007082951560600.htm

Back Bank employees plan dharna before Parliament

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Aug. 28 More than 5,000 bank employees and officers of the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank officers’ Association (AIBOA) would stage dharna before Parliament on August 31 to highlight their charter of demands for banking industry and aam admi.

Both AIBEA and AIBOA have launched a national campaign on various policy issues affecting the banking industry.

As part of the national campaign, one crore signatures will be obtained for a mass petition to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, which will be handed over to him on August 31, according to Mr C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA.

Besides demanding an end to the practice of outsourcing of normal banking services, the AIBEA is also among other things making a case for an increase in interest rates on savings accounts (currently at 3.5 per cent per annum) maintained with banks by aam admi.

AIBEA has also demanded opening of more branches in the unbanked rural areas, stating that only 2 branches, out of 933 branches opened in 2005-06, had been opened in unbanked areas.