New Delhi, June 22: Months after a video of a tribal man bringing his sister’s exhumed body to a bank branch in Odhisa to withdraw Rs 20,000 shocked the nation, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary replied to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik that incident has been viewed seriously by the Department of Financial Services and it acknowledged that while strict adherence to prescribed procedures is essential in banking operations, it is equally important that such procedures are implemented with due sensitivity, empathy, and effective communication, particularly in rural and tribal areas.
Chaudhary’s remarks came in response to letter by Patnaik to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 2 this year.
In a letter to Patnaik dated June 12, Chaudhary said:”I would like to inform you that the matter was examined with Odisha Grameen Bank (OGB). Bank has informed that the deceased depositor’s account did not have a surviving nominee and therefore, settlement of the claim required submission of prescribed documents including death certificate / legal heir details.”
He said that Bank has further informed that, following intervention of the local administration, the requisite documents were issued and the claim amount of Rs 19,402 was subsequently settled in favour of Jitu Munda and two legal heirs.
“However, the incident has been viewed seriously by the Department of Financial Services. This Department acknowledges that while strict adherence to prescribed procedures is essential in banking operations, it is equally important that such procedures are implemented with due sensitivity, empathy, and effective communication, particularly in rural and tribal areas,” the Minister said.
He also said that accordingly, the OGB has, in the first instance suspended the Branch Manager of the Malliposi branch where the said incident had occurred.
“Further, with the due approval of its Board, OGB has issued an advisory to all its field functionaries to ensure that they are compassionate ! empathetic and deliver transparent services to all customers,” he said.
He also said that further, with a view to reinforcing citizen-centric banking services and preventing the recurrence of such incidents across 28 RRBs in the country, an advisory has been issued by the Department of Financial Services to all Regional Rural Banks on May 29 advising them to ensure responsive, compassionate and transparent customer service delivery, particularly for customers belonging to rural, tribal and other vulnerable sections of society.
A video of Munda had gone viral on social media where driven by severe poverty and facing bureaucratic obstacles, he exhumed his deceased sister’s remains and carried the skeleton to the local bank to withdraw Rs 20,000 from her account.
Patnaik, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly had written to Sitharaman, seeking accountability for what he termed a “shocking lapse” after a tribal man was allegedly forced to bring his sister’s skeletal remains to a bank to prove her death and access her deposits.
Patnaik had expressed anguish over the April 27 incident at the Malliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Keonjhar, and said Munda had to exhume his sister’s remains and carry them to the branch after repeated visits failed to yield any assistance or clarity from officials.
