Opposition seeks Government ’s statement

WEB DESK

Banking operations in PSU banks remained paralysed for the second day on Tuesday following strike called by the bank unions.

Members of United Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella organisation of nine bank unions, were opposing the proposed privatisation of two public sector banks and had begun their two-day strike on Monday.

Several employees took to streets and key banking services like deposits and withdrawals and others remained affected.

The opposition Congress has demanded that finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman make a statement to address concerns of the bank staffers protesting against the government’s privatisation and disinvestment plan proposed during the Union Budget presented last month.

Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that the nation’s 12 public sector banks employ 13 lakh people and have about 100,000 branches across states. “The government was able to implement schemes like zero-balance Jan Dhan accounts only on the back of the public sector banks,” he said during the Zero Hour of the Rajya Sabha.

All banks not to be privatised; assures to protect interest of employees and staff: FM

The Congress leader alleged that the government has taken the decision to privatise two public sector banks without discussing the 75 crore account holders, who too are a stakeholder. Pointing to the scale of the demonstration and people impacted by the Centre’s decision, Kharge said employees of general insurance companies will also strike work on March 17 and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) employees have given a strike call on March 18.

I stand with striking bank employees

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today alleged that selling public sector banks to “cronies” will compromise the country’s financial security.
He also accused the government of “privatising profit and nationalising loss”.

“Government of India (GOI) is privatising profit and nationalising loss. Selling PSBs to Modicronies gravely compromises India’s financial security,” Mr Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress leader also expressed solidarity with the protesting bank employees, who are on a two-day strike against alleged privatisation of public sector banks.

“I stand in solidarity with the striking bank employees,” he said on Twitter.