Services in the public sector banks were on Wednesday affected due to a two-day nationwide strike by employees opposing banking sector reforms and outsourcing of non-core activities.

In the national capital, normal operations, including cash transfers and cheque clearances were also hit.

However private sector banks including foreign ones and their ATMs reportedly functioned normally.

Around ten lakh employees took part in the strike lead by the United Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella organisation of nine unions of PSU banks.

The bank unions have been demanding pension revision, housing loan revision, 5-day working week.

They are also protesting against the Banking Sector Laws Amendment Bill which seeks to remove restrictions on voting rights of foreign shareholders and increase voting rights of private investors in the public sector banks.

In Karnataka, the Global Investors Meet, being held in Bangalore, has attracted five lakh crore rupees investment on the first day yesterday.

The Minister for large and Medium Industries in the state Murugesh Nirani informed that MOUs were signed in the field of aeronautics, petrochemicals, cement and steel,IT and electronics, energy and education. 

The public sector company, HAL will set up the new fighter aircraft and engine production facility near Chitradurga. The private firms have committed to invest in developing hotels . 

An aerospace park will come up near Bangalore International airport, automobile manufacturing units and IT parks will be set up all over the state under the agreement signed yesterday. 

Our correspondent re[ports that apart from large and medium industries participating in the meet, the focus this time is also on small scale industries this time. Around 8000 Small enterprises have shown keen interest to invest around 20,000 crores.

The Meet will deliberate on industrial infrastructure, skill development, tourism, textile and agro and food processing sectors today before it concludes in the evening. Around 500 stalls set up to coincide with the meet is attracting large crowd.

Most of them are enterpreneurs interested in Joint Ventures, students from engineering colleges and curious visitors interested to have a peep into the mega event, that is promising to create 10 lakh jobs and boost the state GDP

he government says cancellation of 2G licences by the Supreme Court last month did not have any material impact on public sector banks. Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today that the cancelled licences represent certain circle or areas only. The Supreme Court cancelled One hundred twenty two 2G spectrum licences granted by former telecom minister A.Raja on the ground that they were issued in a totally arbitrary and unconstitutional manner. 

Mr. Meena said that government is closely monitoring the financial impact of the order of the Supreme Court on the banking sector in general and Public sector banks, PSB in particular. PSBs have sanctioned loans aggregating 18,571.24 crore rupees to nine companies affected by 2G verdic