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.
