‘One State One RRB’: BEFI Calls It a Significant Achievement in Rural Banking Reform
Bank Employees’ Federation of India hails 'One State One RRB' as a historic reform, fulfilling a 40-year union demand to strengthen rural banking structure.
Author: Saurav Kumar
Published: April 10, 2025
The Bank Employees’ Federation of India (BEFI) has lauded the implementation of the “One State One RRB” policy in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). The move—long demanded by rural bank unions—has been lauded by BEFI, as a historic achievement in the golden jubilee year of RRBs.
In a circular dated April 8, 2025, BEFI said, “Due to the relentless struggle and campaigns and after four phases of restructuring, now ‘One State One RRB’ has become reality. We have come nearer to the formation of NRBI.”
“We congratulate one and all who stood firm in this journey in achieving a demand which was not an economic benefit for the employees. This had been a significant achievement for better performance of RRBs,” the letter further stated.
BEFI’s Role and the Call for NRBI
BEFI also recalled that the initial demand—raised in the first AIRRBEA conference in 1980—not only called for one RRB per state but also advocated for the creation of an apex body: the National Rural Bank of India (NRBI), and the delinking of sponsor banks from RRBs to ensure better operational autonomy.
On similar lines, BEFI’s affiliate—the Punjab National Bank Employees’ Federation of India (PNBEFI)—also issued a statement lauding the implementation of the 'One State One RRB' policy, echoing the long-standing demand for structural reforms in rural banking.
Image: Circular of PNGEFI acknowledging implementation of One State One RRB
The statements by BEFI and its affiliated unions on the 'One State One RRB' policy reflect a broader consensus in support of RRB amalgamation.
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