Agartala, 26th September 2026 : The 6th biennial conference of the Tripura Gramin Bank Retired Staff Association was held at the Student Health Home in Agartala on Saturday, with discussions focusing on the future of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), challenges confronting the banking sector and various pending issues concerning serving and retired employees.
The conference was inaugurated by Manas Roy, former General Secretary of the Tripura Gramin Bank Employees’ Association. Ganapati Hegde, former General Secretary of the National Federation of Regional Rural Bank Staff, attended as the chief guest and keynote speaker.
The presidium comprised Khagendra Debnath, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee; Bijan Dhar, Chairman of the Joint Action Forum; Subrata Majumdar, President of the Tripura Gramin Bank Retired Staff Association; Nilanjan Bakshi, President of the Tripura Gramin Bank Employees’ Association; and Sanjay Das, President of the Tripura Gramin Bank Officers’ Union.
At the outset, General Secretary Bikash Ranjan Debnath presented the secretary’s report, while Treasurer Premmoy Majumdar placed the financial statement before the conference.
Addressing the gathering, Hegde traced the history of RRBs, noting that they were established on October 2, 1975, with the objective of extending banking services to rural communities. He said RRBs were conceived as a hybrid banking model combining the rural-oriented approach of cooperative institutions with the professional expertise and financial resources of commercial banks.
He highlighted the present financial position of the country’s 28 RRBs, stating that their combined business volume stood at around ₹13.46 lakh crore, comprising deposits of ₹7.68 lakh crore and outstanding loans of ₹5.78 lakh crore. Their combined net worth was around ₹74,086 crore, while profit for the current year stood at ₹10,177 crore, he said.
According to Hegde, RRBs currently operate 22,069 branches across 710 districts, with around 92 per cent of their branches located in rural and semi-urban areas. Priority sector lending accounts for nearly 90 per cent of their total lending, with agriculture and allied activities receiving a major share.
He, however, raised concerns over the proposed direction of RRB reforms, including possible privatisation and the move towards listing RRBs through Initial Public Offerings. He stressed the need to preserve the public-sector character and rural-focused identity of the banks.
The conference also discussed manpower shortages and recruitment. Hegde claimed that more than 30,000 vacancies exist in RRBs and called for the regularisation of long-serving daily-wage and casual workers. He also highlighted the need for better career progression opportunities for RRB employees.
The speakers further raised concerns over the cross-selling of insurance products, deposit mobilisation, loan recovery and the need for greater government support to RRBs. They argued that government departments and public institutions should place surplus funds with RRBs to strengthen their deposit base.
A substantial part of the conference was devoted to issues concerning retired employees, including pension revision and updation, gratuity and other retirement benefits, pension-related matters following disciplinary action, commutation benefits, restoration of commuted pension and implementation of a common health insurance scheme covering serving and retired employees.
The association also announced its participation in the three-day nationwide bank strike scheduled for September 28, 29 and 30. The association said RRB employees and officers would participate under the banner of the All India Regional Rural Bank Employees’ Association (AIRRBEA), citing their entitlement to pay and service benefits on par with commercial bank employees.
The principal demands include implementation of a five-day banking system, withdrawal of the existing Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, pension improvement and updation, a uniform Dearness Allowance formula and an opportunity for employees to opt for or return to the Old Pension Scheme.
Nine delegates participated in the discussion on the secretary’s report and financial accounts. A total of 193 delegates and observer delegates attended the conference.
Bikash Ranjan Debnath delivered the concluding address.
In the final session, a 21-member committee was constituted for the next two years. Bikash Ranjan Debnath was elected President, Samir Debbarma General Secretary and Premmoy Majumdar Treasurer. Swapan Das was appointed Auditor for the next two years.
