Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KM/NR)

Pics by Spurthi Ullal 

Mangalore, December 23: The Government of India is all set to merge some associated banks like the State Bank of Patiala with the State Bank of India (SBI) and thereby defeat the organized work force of the associated banks systematically, alleged Nagarajan, deputy general secretary, AIOBA.  
  
Nagarajan was delivering the inaugural address at the fifteenth conference of the Karnataka Bank Officers' Organisation (KBOO) held at PVS Kalakunj, Kodialbail here in the city on Sunday Dec 23.  
  
Now the government of India is attempting to edge out leading private banks like ICICI by making use of associated banks, first by taking them over without taking into consideration their rehabilitation and deeming them as 'sick' banks. The standards of Indian banks are far superior by global banking standards and this merger practise is inhuman, as no worker will be entitled to sick leave and other benefits, once the merger takes place, he declared expressing his anxiety.  

  
Taking over of the State Bank of Saurasthrra is another such merger story and just the tip of the ice-berg, he opined. The dividend fund by State bank of Patiala is 400% whereas the dividend fund of the State Bank of India is just 35%. This boosts the argument that associated banks are never emulated. This should be done in order to proctect the interests of region, he added.  
  
The great irony of the ill-conceived banking policies adopted by the Government of India is that it is eager to follow American model of banking in every case, but it remains silent when it comes to adoption of American policy of banking like including the human touch in its policies, he declared.
  
AIBOA (All India Bank Officers' Association) strongly opposed the replacement of human resources by technology, out sourcing, growing business and dearth of employees. The over-adoption of technology has failed in the case of Bank of England, customers refused to bank after the over-implementation of technology. Hence it is not a false alarm that banks lose their customers, if they adopt technology over man-power, he detailed.  
  
Ananthakrishna, chairman, Karnataka Bank Ltd, K Vishwanath Naik, general secretary, AIOBA, Karnataka State Committee, PR Arrant, general secretary, KEBA, CK Ananthakrishnayya, president, KBOO were present on the occasion.  
  
K Ravindra Aithal, general secretary, Karnataka Bank Ltd welcomed the gathering.