The All India Regional Rural Bank Employees' Association (AIRRBEA) demanded greater autonomy of the regional rural banks (RRBs) by separating them from the commercial banks sponsoring them. The association has also pushed the proposal of setting up of National Rural Bank of India (NRBI) that would regulate all the RRBs in India. It would be responsible for the entire range of micro finance and government sponsored schemes for rural people. Dilip Kumar Mukherjee, general secretary, AIRRBEA said, "After three decades, the RRBs have definitely attained enough maturity to run themselves effectively and independently without the support of their sponsoring banks." He said that the RRBs must be given complete autonomy and adequate manpower to meet the targets of financial inclusion and branch expansion and also to implement all government programmes meant for the rural poor. Presently 84 RRBs are operating in the country with 15,107 branches in 615 districts. The total business from the RRBs is Rs. 1,87,013 crore. Mukherjee said that while the RBI was allowing the commercial banks to open their branches in any town in the name of financial inclusion, it had restricted branch expansion for RRBs. The representatives of all the 84 RRBs have decided to organize a dharana in front of the parliament house in New Delhi on December 8 to protest against RBI's policy and fulfil their demands. |
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