AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 27:

        Banking operations in the subsidiary banks of the State Bank of India (SBI) were affected today in the wake of a Nation wide strike to oppose the merger of subsidiary banks with the SBI.

        Tamilnadu Bank Employees' Federation (TNBEF) general secretary E Arunachalam said here that barring the State Bank of Saurashtra, all the employees and officers working in the subsidiary banks of the SBI, participated in the strike.

        The employees of State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Indore and State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, assembled under the banner of

        All India Bank Employees Assocation (AIBEA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), and staged a demonstration to oppose the SBI's proposal to merge the subsidiary banks with the SBI.

        The demonstration was held in front of State Bank of Hyderabad preuises at Parrys corner area in the city.

        Arunachalam said the proposed merger was not in the interests of general public or the Associate Banks or the employees of the subsidiary banks.

        Alleging that the merger move would only benefit the SBI, he said the merger of subsidiary banks with the SBI would lead to closure of large number of bank branches and reduction of manpower, which would certainly affect the service to the public.