Mumbai, Oct 19 (IANS): Bankers in Maharashtra have planned a unified strike on November 16, preceded by other forms of agitation, in protest against the 'burden' on them by the state government's 'Chief Minister Ladki Bahin Yojana', union officials said on Saturday.

The decision was taken by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), according to its state Convenor and veteran banking union leader Devidas Tuljapurkar.

Among other things, the UFBU has slammed the government for the lack of planning and coordination between the state government and the banks ahead of the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme rollout in August, symbolically during the Rakshabandhan festival.

"In the process of implementation of the ‘Ladmi Bahin’ scheme, due to lack of planning and coordination with the banks and the state government, there is chaos in the branches of banks,” said Tuljapurkar, detailing the ground situation. He said that after the scheme was announced, the banks have witnessed a huge rush of women at its branches and counters to open new bank accounts or revive existing ones, for Aadhar Card seeding, converting dormant accounts to operative ones by submitting the KYC documents, etc.

A public sector bank officer in Thane told IANS that in many cases, hundreds of anxious women queued up overnight and camped outside the bank premises to ensure completing the formalities the next day, not heeding warnings, to ensure their name in the government dole of Rs 1,500/month.

According to UFBU, the banks had levied certain service charges but failed to recover them as many accounts lacked sufficient balance.

"Since sufficient balance was not there in the account/s, this amount is now debited from such accounts (online) through the system, consequent upon the credit of aid under the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme,” said Tuljarpurkar.

This has led to heated quarrels, brawls and fisticuffs between the beneficiaries (‘Ladki Bahin’) and the banking staffers, and some ‘so-called people's representatives attempting to exploit the situation.

The UFBU referred to a series of such untoward incidents all over Maharashtra where the bank employees were harassed, abused and even physically assaulted, as the local leaders attempted to become popular with the ‘Ladki Bahins’ and the voters.

Fed up with the goings-on, Tuljapurkar said that the UFBU comprising nine top unions of different banks in the state will go on a day’s token strike on November 16 (four days before the November 20 elections), demanding the safety and security of the bank staffers and branch assets.

Preceding the strike would be a sit-in protest in Mumbai on October 25 and the submitting of a memo of grievances to the Indian Banks Association and Maharashtra Police, an X campaign on November 10), mass deputation to state banks on November 11, a Candle Light Procession in all districts on November 14, a protest across the state on November 15, and the strike on November 16.

Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, the UFBU has listed violent incidents, almost every week, at branches of the Bank Of Maharashtra, the Bank of Baroda, the Punjab National Bank, the United Commercial Bank, and the Central Bank of India that have created fear and insecurity among the staffers.