Bank of Maharashtra Staff Across India Unite to Oppose Shift of Lokmangal Head Office

On September 23, 2025, Bank of Maharashtra employees staged a coordinated protest across India, opposing the management’s decision to relocate the bank’s head office from its historic Lokmangal building in Pune to a costly rented premises in Baner.

Four major unions, All India Bank of Maharashtra Employees Federation, Bank of Maharashtra Officers’ Organisation, Bank of Maharashtra Officers’ Association, and All India Bank of Maharashtra Workers’ Organisation, representing over 95% of the bank’s officers and award staff, have jointly resolved to challenge the decision.

Employees in all 2,650 branches across India wore badges to register their protest and reaffirm their determination to preserve Lokmangal’s legacy.

Image: Different branches from Latur zone protesting


Image: Different branches from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar zone protesting

For thousands of Bank of Maharashtra staff, Lokmangal is far more than a building. Constructed in 1978 at Shivajinagar, Pune, with the foundation stone laid by the Bank’s first employee Krishnaji Bhosale, it embodies pride, staff participation and public trust built over decades. 
Employees often refer to Lokmangal as “the very identity of the Bank of Maharashtra,” representing the institution’s homegrown roots and its long association with Maharashtra’s development.

Image: Solapur zone


Image: Amravati zone


Image: Akola zone


Image: Kolhapur zone


Image: Nashik zone

The current management’s plan to shift the head office to a privately-owned property in Baner at an estimated rent exceeding ₹2 crore per month has drawn sharp criticism. According to staff unions, this would make Bank of Maharashtra the only public sector bank in the country with its headquarters on rented premises. Employees allege that neither the rationale behind the move, nor the terms of the deal, nor the future of the Lokmangal building have been disclosed to stakeholders, including shareholders, customers and staff. Despite repeated questions, the management has maintained silence, fuelling unease and suspicion.

Image: Pune zone


Image: Mumbai and Navi Mumbai zone


Image: Varanasi zone

The protest was visible from Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur, Jalgaon, Thane, Mumbai and Kottayam to Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and zones all over India reporting similar participation. Staff stood together with full confidence, projecting a rare show of unity across ranks and regions.

Image: Surat and Ahmedabad zone


Image: Jaipur zone


Image: Ernakulam zone

Employees say they see themselves as trustees of the people’s money and insist that transparent decision-making is mandatory for a government-owned bank. They have also criticised the Bank’s decision to host a high-profile event on September 25 at JW Marriott Hotel, Pune, to be attended by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Finance Secretary T.V. Nagaraju. Unions call it “extravagant” at a time when Maharashtra is grappling with devastating floods and farmers are in distress.

Speaking to Kanal on behalf of the officers’ and employees’ front, Dhananjay Kulkarni, Joint Convenor, said the future course of action would be announced depending on the management’s response.

With the controversy deepening, employees are determined to uphold the historic significance of Lokmangal, the very identity of the Bank of Maharashtra and have signalled that their protest on September 23 was only the first step in a larger campaign for transparency and accountability.