Agartala: Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) has accused the Centre of preventing nationalised banks from expansion of services in rural India by encouraging Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).
Talking to media here today, BEFI General Secretary Pradip Biswas alleged that banks regulators were allowing NBFCs and Micro-finance companies to expand their business in villages, which were virtually cheating the poors and compelled people with marginal income to commit suicide.
He however, alleged that in the last budget the Centre had made commitment that the government had emphasized on expansion of rural banking but within three months of the announcement as many as 30,000 branches of different nationalised banks became malfunctioned across the country.
On the other hand, NBFCs witnessed a convincing growth in most parts of the country during the period, he stated, adding neither the Centre, the Reserve Bank of India nor the state governments were taking steps against such banking, which ultimately causing a concern for the country.
While demanding withdrawal of Banking Act (Amendment) Bill 2011, Mr Biswas pointed out that the proposed bill would hand over the management of at least 12 private Indian banks like Indus Ind Bank, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Axix Bank and HDFC Bank to foreign management.
“Including new provisions, the Centre is allowing big corporate to open private banks in India, which is ultimately leading to the situation in sixties before nationalisation of banks in 1969,” Mr Biswas apprehended and demanded revocation of the recommendations of Khandalwal Committee on bank reform.
He however stated the nation-wide bank strike on July 25-26 had been postponed, as Indian Bank Association and management called them for a meeting today to discuss their four-point demand and added, ‘If the meeting fails, the bank will go for strike on August 22-23.’ UNI