History of CBROA
JOURNEY OF CANARA BANK RETIRED OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
Canara Bank Retired Officers’ Association (Regd) is a trade union operating in the nationalised Canara Bank since 06.02.1996. CBROA came into being after introduction of Pension Scheme in Banks to champion the cause of retired employees in Canara Bank. While the trade union of serving employees in Canara Bank were focussed mainly for the improvement of service conditions, the retired employees felt focussed attention to their welfare was not there. In the wake of implementation of Pension Regulations on 29.09.1995 there were many issues pertaining to pensioners which could be redressed through an organisation. Hence, the need to organise the retires of our Bank was felt. The erstwhile leaders of Canara Bank Officers’ Association (CBOA) having felt the pulse of retired employees decided to organise the retired employees under the aegis of CBOA and founded Canara Bank Retired Officers’ Association with the aim and object of protecting the interest of the retired bank employees in Canara Bank. Sri.B Sudhakar Shetty then General Secretary of CBOA played a key role in forming and giving the Association a concrete shape. The leadership of CBOA had extended invitation to fraternal trade unions in the Bank to organise an all cadre trade union of Canara Bank retired employees. However, the response was not encouraging and to set the ball rolling, the trade union for retired officers of Canara Bank was founded. It is pertinent to note here that right from day one of formation of CBROA all the administration, postage, meeting expenses, travel expenses incurred by the Office bearers of CBROA were borne by CBOA. The Biennial Conferences of CBROA were held along with the Biennial Conferences of CBOA and all the delegates from CBROA attending the Conference of CBROA were treated as special invitees for the CBOA Conference. It may be recalled that while registering the Association as a trade union, both the Chairman and Managing Director and the Assistant Labour Commissioner were reluctant to register the Association as a trade union. The Registrar of Trade Unions was also reluctant to register the Association as a trade union. The founders had to draw the attention of the Registrar to the Pension Regulations where there is a clause of amenability of retired employees for disciplinary action after retirement and applicability of Canara Bank Officers Discipline & Appeal Regulations 1976 for conduct of inquiry proceedings. Canara Bank Retired Officers’ Association (CBROA) was founded on 6th February 1996 with formation of Ad hoc Committee with Sri H S Gajanana Rao as President and Sri P Sanjeeva Rao as General Secretary and was registered as a Trade Union on 18th March, 1996. CBROA was affiliated initially to All India Bank Retirees Federation (AIBRF). Earlier All India Confederation of Bank Officers’ Organisations (AICOBOO), the then umbrella organisation of all serving Bank Officers had decided to organise retired Bank Officers under its aegis to focus the demands of the retired Bank Officers in the form of Retired Bank Officers’ National Confederation (RBONC). Many churnings took place in the trade union scenario of Bank Officers and All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) emerged as overwhelming majority organisation of Bank Officers in October 1985. Under its sponsorship, All India Bank Pensioners’ and Retirees Confederation (AIBPARC) was formed on 12.03.2012 in its foundation Conference held at Nagpur. Canara Bank Retired Officers’ Association is now one of the proud contingents of AIBPARC which has grown in strength and stature in a short span of time. Now CBROA is the largest Retired Officers’ trade union in Canara Bank. Canara Bank Retired Officers’ Association with the vanguard support of Canara Bank Officers’ Association has been able to prevail upon our Canara Bank to extend the following benefits. a) Issue of Identity Cards to Retired Officers b) Reimbursement of Medical Expenses c) Waiver of Processing Charges d) Issue of Identity Cards to SVRS optees e) Extension of additional 1% interest on Retirees Deposits f) Extension of Holiday Home facility g) Permission to open Joint Account with spouse for Pension Account h) Loan to Pensioners i) Engaging retired officers as Inspecting Officers(Field), Inquiring Authority, Faculty Members, Recovery Agents, Direct Selling Agents (DSA), etc. j) Reimbursement of Medical Expenses to family pensioners k) Payment of additional ex-gratia to pensioners and family pensioners to the pre 01.01.1986 retirees. l) Creation of structured Bilateral forum for redressal of Pensioners’ Grievances at periodical intervals. Canara Bank is the first Bank in the entire Banking Industry to create a structured forum for redressal of pensioners’ grievances by holding Meetings with the representatives of CBROA at regular intervals. The Top Office bearers of CBROA will be calling on the Executives at Head Office regularly to sort out some of the grievances of the pensioners/retirees. Ever since CBROA has been formed, the CBROA has been involving itself in ameliorating the grievances of retired employees, be it defending the beleaguered retired officers in disciplinary actions, helping them in drafting suitable replies to the memos issued, extending financial assistance in the form of death relief, welfare measures, settlement of grievances regarding IBA Medical Insurance in co-ordination with Bank, TPA and Insurance Company. CBROA takes pride in effectively defending charge sheeted Officers and ensuring that no or least punishment is imposed on the charge sheeted Officers. In many cases CBROA has succeeded in getting the charge sheets issued against the Officers dropped on technical grounds in consonance with Bank Employees’ Pension Regulations,1995.
ALL INDIA BANK PENSIONERS AND RETIREES' CONFEDERATION (AIBPARC)
The Pensioners in Banking Industry started organising themselves with an object of redressing their grievances in the wake of implementation of Bank Employees' Pension Regulations 1995. All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) was the first to start a union of Pensioners & Retirees of Banking Industry under the name of All India Bank Retirees Federation (AIBRF). There were many organisations formed by local leaders in some states, which was sporadic. Finding that the issues of pensioners and retirees of Banking Industry were not pursued with necessary thrust, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) leadership thought of promoting an Association of Pensioners and retirees. The erstwhile leaders of AIBOC Sri Shantharaju, Sri S R Sengupta, Sri K V Acharya, Sri Gopinatha Rao joined hands to form an Association of Pensioners and retirees of Banking Industry. The then General Secretary of AIBOC Sri G D Nadaf supported the initiative with full financial support. All the former leaders of affiliates of AIBOC pledged their support for formation of Pensioners and Retirees Confederation under the aegis of AIBOC. The leadership of AIBOC held the foundation Conference of the newly formed All India Bank Pensioners & Retirees Confederation (AIBPARC) on 12.03.2012 at Nagpur. More than 500 delegates from the various Pensioners' Associations sponsored by affiliates of AIBOC attended the Conference. Sri S R Sengupta, Sri Shantharaju, former General Secretaries of AIBOC, and Sri K V Acharya, former Vice President, AIBOC were nominated as Conveners. Sri G D Nadaf, General Secretary and Sri P K Sarkar, President, AIBOC were nominated as special invitees. More than 20 Associations of pensioners sponsored by affiliates of AIBOC, sought affiliation to AIBOC. Canara Bank Retired Officers’ Association (CBROA) had passed a resolution in the Mangalore Conference held in April 2012 to affiliate with AIBPARC. The first Conference of AIBPARC was held at Delhi in November,2012. The then General Secretary, AIBOC, Sri Harvinder Singh, was in the forefront in organising the Conference. The Conference was attended by more than 500 delegates from various affiliates. Sri.S R Sengupta was elected as General Secretary and Sri K V Acharya was elected as President, AIBPARC. Sri K B Ballur, then General Secretary of our Association was elected as Deputy General Secretary and Sri A G Kulkarni was elected as Executive Council Member. Since its inception AIBPARC has been campaigning vigorously and relentlessly for realising the long pending legitimate demands of pensioners and retirees of Banking Industry. As part of the campaign a massive Dharna was held at Jantar Mantar Grounds, New Delhi in November, 2013 and again in November 2015. The Dharnas were attended by a very large number of retirees from every nook and corner of the country. The Dharna held in September,2013 had its impact and the leaders of AIBPARC were invited by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The delegation of AIBPARC lead by Sri S R Sengupta and Sri K V Acharya, made a presentation and submitted a detailed memorandum on the issues of pensioners and retirees of Banking Industry and sought an immediate redressal of all the issues since the pensioners and retirees of Banking Industry have been denied their legitimate benefits. The Ministry Officials assured to look into the matter with a positive mind. As the response of the Ministry for the Dharna held in November,2013 was lukewarm, AIBPARC under the banner of CBPRO, held another massive Dharna in November 2015, attended by more than 10,000 retirees at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. The Dharnas were addressed by prominent political leaders who pledged their support to the cause of pensioners of Banking Industry.
COORDINATION BANK PENSIONERS AND RETIREES ORGANISATIONS (CBPRO)
AIBPARC has made a very planned and concerted effort to forge unity among the various Apex Bodies of pensioners and retirees, viz AIBRF, RBONC, AIBREA, AISBIPF. The leadership of AIBPARC was successful in bringing the above organisations under the banner of Co-ordination of Bank Pensioners and Retirees Organisations (CBPRO). AIBRF, the AIBEA sponsored Association did not join the Co-ordination. But the other organisations have forged the Co-ordination and the total strength of CBPRO today is nearly 4 lakh Members. Vigorous campaign has been launched by CBPRO in resolving the issues of pensioners. CBPRO has petitioned the Prime Minister, various Parliament Members, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Finance Minister highlighting the plight of the Bank pensioners. CBPRO has been successful in convincing the powers that be about the seriousness of the legitimate demands of pensioners/ retirees and the need to resolve the issues within the framework of Bank Employees' Pension Regulations, 1995. CBPRO is continuing the campaign in a sustained manner to get the issues of pensioners/retirees resolved. The CBPRO was formally formed in February 2015 with Sri R N Banerjee, President, SBI Pensioners Federation, as Chairman of the Co-ordination. Sri K V Acharya, President, AIBPARC and Sri Ramesh Babu, General Secretary, SBI Pensioners' Federation were unanimously nominated as Conveners of CBPRO. Now, CBPRO has become synonymous with the hopes and aspirations of the pensioners and retirees of Banking Industry. CBPRO has been spearheading a vigorous campaign to realise the Long pending legitimate demands of pensioners/ retirees. CBPRO is growing in strength and stature and has become a household name among the banking fraternity. A very positive recent development is that AIBRF, the AIBEA sponsored Association has expressed its desire to be part of CBPRO so that the Co-ordination will encompass the whole community of retirees of Banking Industry. Now that the entire force of retirees is galvanised under the broad umbrella of CBPRO, the issues of pensioners and retirees will get an impetus. With united struggle alone, we can achieve our just and right demands. Unity among the pensioners and retirees has been achieved and now CBPRO is in a position to move forward with all vigour to pursue the issues of pensioners and retirees. In our campaign to realise our long pending demands the Constituents of UFBU, especially, AIBOC has been extending whole hearted support by raising the issues of pensioners and retirees, before IBA during the negotiations that are held for the 11th Bipartite Settlement for resolving the issues of serving employees. Now there are State level units of both AIBPARC and CBPRO and the Karnataka unit of AIBPARC and CBPRO is one of the most vibrant units of AIBPARC & CBPRO.
Biennial/Triennial Events
| CONFERENCE | YEAR | PLACE | CHAIRMAN | PRESIDENT | GENERAL SECRETARY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1997 | MYSORE | - | H S GAJANANA RAO | P SANJEEVA RAO |
| 2nd | 1999 | CHENNAI | - | H S GAJANANA RAO | P SANJEEVA RAO |
| 3rd | 2001 | BENGALURU | - | H S GAJANANA RAO | P SANJEEVA RAO |
| 4th | 2004 | BENGALURU | - | L LAKKAPPA | V SEETHARAMU |
| 5th | 2006 | BENGALURU | - | L LAKKAPPA | V SEETHARAMU |
| 6th | 2008 | HUBLI | - | M N SUNDARAM | P SANJEEVA RAO |
| 7th | 2010 | MYSORE | - | K B BALLUR | V SEETHARAMU |
| 8th | 2012 | MANGALORE | - | K CHANDRASHEKHAR | K B BALLUR |
| 9th | 2014 | CHENNAI | - | A G KULKARNI | K B BALLUR |
| 10th | 2016 | COIMBATORE | A G KULKARNI | K B BALLUR | A N KRISHNA MURTHY |
| 11th | 2018 | A G KULKARNI | K B BALLUR | A N KRISHNA MURTHY | |
| 12th | 2023 | MYSORE | G A HANDE | A N KRISHNA MURTHY | J S JAGADEESH |
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