Chalo Delhi agitation in Nov opposing merger of banks in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: The leaders of All India Andhra Bank Award Employees Union (ABAEU) and employees staged a protest demonstration as part of all India bank's strike, at Andhra Bank zonal office here on Tuesday.

They raised slogans against the Centre and demanded that the government withdraw the banks' merger plans. Speaking on the occasion, CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna opposed the merger of banks. He visited the agitating bank employees to express his solidarity with them.

He wondered as to how the Centre did make plans to merge Bank of Maharashtra, UCO Bank and Bank of Baroda and also merging of Andhra Bank with Union Bank of India.

He requested Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to meet Prime Minister to discuss the issue. He said that the Centre should not merge the banks which have fewer deposits compared to Andhra Bank.

He pointed out that the Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) have gone up after the merger of various banks in the past. Nearly 7,000 bank branches were closed after the merger, he recalled. He wondered as to how the Centre waived loans worth Rs 76,000 crore to various industrialists. He said that they would conduct Chalo Delhi programme in November with all political parties to oppose the merger of Andhra Bank.

CPM State secretary P Madhu, Andhra Bank Parirakshana Samiti convenor G Obulesu, CPI State committee member Jalli Wilson, CPM State committee member Ch Babu Rao, Andhra Bank Employees Association leaders N Subba Rao, Anand Kishore, V Srinivasa Rao and others were present.