National campaign and agitational programme by Co-operative Banks Federation to pressurise RBI & Central Govt for 2-tier structure

Chennai, August 10, 2022: All India Co-operative Bank Employees' Federation, is an affiliate of All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) and is the only All India trade Union for co-op. bank employees at the national level. General Secretary Tapan Kumar Bose along with Com. C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary of All India Bank Employees Association today met reporters regarding National campaign and agitational programme by Co-operative Banks Federation to pressurise RBI & Central Govt to implement 2-tier system.

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He also said that, "A meeting of the leaders of All India Co-op. Bank Employees Federation was held today in Chennai. Com. C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary of All India Bank Employees Association attended the meeting and guided the deliberations.

The meeting welcomed the decision of Government of India for setting up of a separate ministry for the co-operation and expected that a national policy for the co-operative sector particularly for co-operative banking institutions would emerge soon as was demanded by the AICBEF.

The meeting was concerned about the recent appointment of an Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of Dy. Managing Director, NABARD to examine the "Relevance and retention of 3 Tier structure in the Co-op. Banks".

It is our considered opinion that Co-operative Banks are people-oriented banking institutions and hence have to be structured to benefit the common people.

The present 3 Tier structure is :

1. State-level Co-op. Banks,

2. District-level Co-op. Banks and

3. Primary level co-op. banks and societies

We strongly feel that the structure should become 2 Tier structure

1. State-level Banks with Branches in the Districts

2. Primary-level co-op. banks and Societies.

This will further strengthen the co-op. banking system in our country and this delayering will help in reducing the lending rates while extending loans to the farmers/ borrowers.

For example, the setting up of Kerala Bank (which consists of Apex Bank and the erstwhile District Banks) has been found very successful in terms of efficiency, profitability and extending loans to borrowers at affordable rates of interest.

It is unfortunate that the Government has set-up an Expert Committee with a view to retain the present 3 Tier structure in Co-op. Banks.

Hence the meeting has decided to undertake a national campaign and agitational programme as under:

1. AIBEA and AICBEF will meet the members of the Expert Committee and submit our Memorandum explaining our demand for introducing 2 Tier system.

2. Meet the RBI and Ministry of Co-operation to submit our Memorandum.

3. All our unions under AIBEA and AICBEF will send memorandum to the Expert Committee with our views and suggestions.

4. To Hold a Dharna before RBI and NABARD in Mumbai on our demand

5. To hold a National Convention in Delhi to seek political support to our demand

6. To organsie All India Strike by co-operative bank employees and commercial bank employees to press our demand (date to be finalised by the Joint meeting of AIBEA and AICBEF).

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