M A I L B A G

Centre or RBI should decide banks’ merger

According to reports, giants like Bank of India and Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Dena Bank and now Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank for Allahabad Bank going in for a merger. The Narasimham Committee on Banking Reforms recommended in 1991 that there should be eight or 10 banks at the national level.

As the Chairman and Managing Director of the erstwhile New Bank of India now merged with Punjab National Bank, I suggest that there should now be the only 10 banks in our country as follows: State Bank of India (its seven subsidiaries to be merged into it), Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Corporation Bank and Central Bank of India.

The remaining 10 nationalised banks could be merged with any of the banks in the above serial (from Oriental Bank of Commerce to Central Bank of India) on the basis of their aggregate assets, profitability and geographical location so that they all compete with each other aggressively at home and become globally competitive. Both the Union Government and Reserve Bank of India must, on their own, take the decision on mergers and not leave it to the bank managements. Bank unions will definitely oppose consolidation as the merger of New Bank of India with Punjab National Bank has led to litigation in various courts.

R.C. SUNEJA, New Delhi

Partisan Governors

The Governor holds a constitutional post and thus very important (“President’s rule, at last!”, editorial, March 7). Over the years, the Congress party has used the incumbents in Raj Bhavans as its handmaidens. Mr Surjeet Singh Barnala is the only Governor who refused to toe the dictates of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and did not fabricate a report against the Karunanidhi government in Tamil Nadu. Syed Sibtey Razi and S.C. Jamir are the latest additions to the hall of infamy.

Anyway, the situation is not irretrievable. If it is made mandatory that in a hung State Assembly or Lok Sabha, the parties are to prove their majority in the House before being invited to form the government, the matter can easily be resolved.

GEETANJALI KORPAL, Amritsar

II

Governors have been abusing their powers as they exercise their powers as agents of the ruling party at the Centre. This is the main cause of the problem. There is a need to appoint apolitical persons as Governors. They should be statesmen and men and women of high integrity, vision and character.

The founding fathers of the Constitution never imagined that our Governors would one day behave so callously as in Goa and Jharkhand. There will be no end to this problem as long as politicians occupy the Raj Bhavans.

RAVI VAID, Chamba (HP)

Not purely Jat

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda cannot be purely called a Jat leader in the strict sense of the term (The Tribune, March 7). Mr Hooda is a person of pure secular credentials. He represents the leadership of all the communities of the state.

ASHA MALIK, Panchkula

Cong-BJP coalition

It makes sense when Wg-Cdr C.L. Sehgal talks of Congress-BJP coalition (Letter, Feb 24). In the terminology of politics, it is called polarisation of parties. Smaller political parties will vanish with the passage of time.

Even in science, they say unlike poles attract each other and like poles repel each other. It is just giving a thought in introspection.

Dr H.K. LALL, Chandigarh

No bus stand

Though Jawali is a fast developing town, it does not have a bus stand. As a result, passengers are put to lot of inconvenience. Buses stop at Kehri Chowk, about one km from Jawali.

Two years back, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh laid a foundation stone for the bus stand, but the work is yet to start. I appeal to the Chief Minister, Transport Minister and others to bestow their attention on this problem on priority.

SAMAR JIT GUPTA, Jawali