GUWAHATI: The Assam state committee of the Coordination of Bank Pensioners and Retirees Organizations (CBPRO) staged a protest on Friday, October 18, 2024 from 11 am to 1 pm at Chachal on VIP Road.
ALSO READ: BJP Leader Jayanta Bora Resigns After Being Denied By-election Ticket for Behali Constituency
The protest aimed at pressing the Government of India (GOI) and the Indian Bank Association (IBA) to address the long-pending demands of bank pensioners. This includes the much-anticipated pension updation, which the pensioners argue has been delayed for over a decade.
The protest demanded pension updation in line with the provisions laid out in the Bank Pension Regulations, 1995, specifically Rule 35(1), which was amended in 2003. According to the regulations, bank pensioners are entitled to receive enhanced pension benefits following each wage revision for bank employees. However, despite these provisions, pensioners from both public and private sector banks have not seen an increase in their pensions for over ten years.
In contrast, pensioners from other sectors, including the state and central governments, RBI, and IDBI, have been receiving updated pensions as per similar regulations. This has left bank pensioners feeling marginalized and neglected which forced the widespread protests across the nation
The demands include computation of special allowance for calculation of gratuity and pension, extension of health insurance at affordable rate and withdrawal of GST from Insurance premium, one more option of pension to left out bank retirees, stopage of recovery of commuted amount after 10 years from the date of comencement of
pension payment, uniform DA for all pensioners, consultative status to Retiree Organisations.
Despite the clear provisions laid out in the regulations, both the Government of India and the Indian Bank Association have failed to implement the changes needed to bring pensioners in line with other sectors.
Joint Conveyor Kirti Mohan Bhattacharyya in the protest said, "We have been patient for far too long. Despite years of appeals and discussions, there has been no action from the authorities. We are left with no option but to take to the streets to make our voices heard."