Bank pensioners stage dharna

Vijayawada : Coordination of Bank Pensioners and Retirees Organisations (CBPRO) including Federation of SBI Pensioners’ Associations, All India Bank Pensioners’ and Retirees’ Confederation (AIBPARC), RBONC, FORBE, AIRBEA, AIBRAF staged a massive national dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday demanding an end to injustice and discriminatory treatment being meted out to them for more than 32 years by denying the benefit of updating of pension despite extending the same to pensioners of Government, RBI and NABARD.

More than 1,000 bank pensioners and retirees from all over the country participated in the dharna, said joint convener of CBPRO and president of AIBPARC KV Acharya.

He said in a statement here on Wednesday that though there is provision for updating of pension under Regulation 35 (1) of Bank Employees Pension Regulations, 1995 the same has not been implemented.

The pensioners said that they are also discriminated against in the group medical insurance scheme of IBA where annual premium is more than Rs one lakh for sum insured of Rs 9 lakh to the retiree and spouse is borne by Bank retirees. Member of Rajya Sabha and former Union minister GK Vasan addressed the dharna sympathising with the cause of Bank pensioners and assured them all support in taking up the issues with the Union Finance Minister. All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) general secretary Rupam Roy, Girish Chandra Arya, general secretary of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of AITUC, CITU National Secretary R Karumalayian and the leaders of Federation of SBI Pensioners Associations, RBONC, FORBE, AIRBEA and AIBRAF also spoke. AIBPARC GS Suprita Sarkar proposed a vote of thanks.