Mumbai

In a significant relief for the ruling MahaYuti government, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to postpone its planned statewide strike on November 16 against the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme. This decision came after discussions between UFBU leaders and officials from the state and banking sector.

UFBU Convenor Devidas Tuljapurkar announced that a delegation, including leaders Nilesh Pawar, Naresh Bodalia, and Snehal Patkar, met with senior IAS officers to address the concerns of banking staff since the scheme’s launch in August. Key agreements made include enhancing security for bank employees through private agencies for three months, with local authorities instructed to prioritize safety, especially for those involved with the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme.

To alleviate congestion in rural branches, banks will deploy ‘Banking Correspondents’ to handle routine tasks like linking Aadhaar cards and opening accounts. A joint review of these measures will take place after the Diwali festival. Tuljapurkar emphasized that the government has responded positively to their concerns, prompting the postponement of the strike.

Just days earlier, the UFBU had threatened a strike due to chaos caused by the scheme, which saw large numbers of women attempting to register. The union highlighted the harassment faced by bank staff amid the scheme’s rollout. Despite the postponement, the UFBU plans to monitor security closely as the scheme continues to impact over 2.5 crore women in Maharashtra.