New Delhi Mar 29 PTI Banking services were impacted partially for the second day on Tuesday as a section of bank employees came in support of the nationwide strike called by central trade unionsTransactions at many public sector banks were impacted as employees did not report for duty Besides there were delays in cheque clearances and government treasury operations were also affected due to the strikeAs per our reports in the Southern Grid functioning in Chennai during our strike yesterday and today about 6 lakh chequesinstruments worth about Rs 5000 crore could not be sent for clearance as branches did not function due to the strike All India Bank Employees Association AIBEA general secretary CH Venkatachalam saidAt the national level about 20 lakh cheques worth about Rs 18000 crore could not be cleared he claimedBank unions are protesting against the governments move to privatise two public sector banks as announced in the Budget for 2021-22 They are also demanding an increase in the interest rate on deposits and a reduction in service chargesBesides AIBEA the Bank Employees Federation of India BEFI and All India Bank Officers Association AIBOA are also part of the two-day strike call given by the joint forum of central trade unions and various sectoral independent trade unions to protest against governments alleged anti-people economic policies and anti-worker labour policiesAll Indian Trade Union Congress AITUC Centre of Indian Trade Unions CITU and Indian National Trade Union Congress INTUC among others are demanding the scrapping of the proposed changes in labour laws and privatisation in any formIncreased allocation of wages under MNREGA Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act and regularisation of contract workers are also part of their demandsMost of the banks including the State Bank of India SBI had informed their customers about the proposed strike and its likely impact on the services in advance PTI DP BAL

Chandigarh Aug 23 PTI The opposition Congress on Monday objected to the ruling dispensation allegedly holding political functions in state universities stating that it will set a wrong precedent During the Question Hour in the state assembly Congress MLA B B Batra sought university-wise and party-wise details of programmes in various state universities from September 2019 till date Batra said it is sad to see the state universities being used to hold functions by ruling parties Holding of political functions in universities is wrong It will set a wrong precedent he asserted In his reply to Batras question Education Minister Kanwar Pal said as per the information received from all the state universities except Chaudhary Devi Lal University Sirsa no political party has organised any political programme in them since September 2019 He said according to the Sirsa varsity two political programmes were organised -- one by the Jannayak Janta Party on December 9 2019 and another by the Bharatiya Janata Party on July 11 2021 A payment of Rs 59000 including the Goods and Services Tax each was paid by the two parties for both the programmes he said He said the JJPs district secretary had requested the Sirsa varsitys vice-chancellor to allow him organise the programme while the BJP workers had sought the district administrations permission to organise it in the varsitys multipurpose hall for reasons of safety oand security Notably the farmers agitating against the central farm laws have been opposing the public functions of BJP and JJP leaders In addition Rs 177000 was paid by the Indian National Students Organization a student wing of the Jannayak Janata Party for the programme organized on August 5 2021 at Maharishi Dayanand University Rohtak he informed Making an intervention Chief Minister M L Khattar said taking a decision on giving permission to hold a function in any institution is under the purview of the vice-chancellor He said universities are autonomous bodies and it is up to them to grant or refuse permissions Khattar mentioned that in the past universities had also permitted Indian National Trade Union Congress to conduct the programme on October 17 2017 by charging the prescribed fee Besides this NSUI the student wing of the Congress was allowed to conduct the programme in the same year said Khattar PTI SUN VSD RAX RAX