Andhra and Union banks merger sparks protests

Dharna Chowk: Condemning the Central government's proposal to merge Andhra Bank with Union Bank, All India Andhra Bank Award Employees Union staged protest here on Thursday as part of 'Save Andhra Bank' movement by the union.

Speaking on the occasion, the secretary of the union, B Rambabu said that the Central government's proposal to merge public sector banks would not provide any benefits to people. He alleged that it is a tactic to divert public attention from actual issues. He advised the government to announce its action plan to recover huge loans taken by corporates instead of merging banks.

Employees of all branches of the bank would wear black badges and protest during lunch hours protesting the move, he said. The bank which was formed on the call given by Mahatma Gandhi 95 years ago, has branches across the nation and was always ahead in providing quality services to its customer, he said.

The move to merge the bank with the other bank would not be tolerated, he warned. He urged the state government to respond to the proposal and take measures to save the bank.