The committee constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to look into the issue of customer service by banks to small borrowers including pensioners will hold its first meeting this month. It will submit its report within four months after the meeting.
The primary objective of the seven-member panel headed by former Security and Exchange Board Chairman M Damodaran will be to review the existing system of attending to customer service in banks — approach, attitude and fair treatment of customers from retail, small and pensioners’ segment.
The committee will review the role of the board of directors of banks and the role of regulators in customer service issues. The other members of the committee are P Rajyalakshmi Rao, former member of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi, Ashok Rawat of All India Bank Depositors’ Association, M V Nair, chairman, Indian Banks’ Association and chairman and managing director, Union Bank of India, B. M. Mittal, chief executive officer, Banking Codes and Standards Board of India, M S Sundara Rajan, former chairman and managing director of Indian Bank and S Gopalakrishnan, former chairman and managing director, Vijaya Bank, Chennai.
Kaza Sudhakar, chief general manager of customer service department of the RBI, will be the member secretary.
The members will also evaluate the existing system of grievance redressal mechanism prevalent in banks, its structure and efficacy and recommend measures for expeditious resolution of complaints. The committee is expected to lay down a suitable time frame for disposal of complaints.
It will also examine possible methods of leveraging technology for better customer service and review the functioning of banking ombudsman scheme.
I had complaint against sbi regarding non payment of pension, but no heed has been paid even after almost 1 month. the details are as under
Please refer to my complaint Ticket no. : CC 1334160495942 in regard to non payment of pension.No attention has been paid to solve my issue even after lapse of almost one week. The detail matter is as under:
I, Smt. Renuka Sinha, P.F. NO. LNKP Sinha 0809039, am wife of Late LNKP Sinha, who retired from SBI on 31/05/2006 and died on 23/08/2007. Since 24/08/2007, I have been getting pension from SBI Bari Pahadi Branch, Biharsharif, Nalanda, Bihar through my account No. 10759666064. I have been producing my life certificate also as and when demanded by the Bank. In April of this year, when I went to draw my pension from my account then manager of SBI Bari Pahadi Branch, Biharsharif told me that you need to open a separate account and for this you contact to Patna Zonal Office of SBI only then you will be paid your pension. When asked about the reason of this then he behaved rudely and told whatever I have told you follow that otherwise you will lose your pension also. It is therefore requested to take necessary and favorable action in this regard so that I may not face problems in future. Kindly also arrange for payment of my pension.
Please take necessary action.
Mobile no. 8603257789.
This is good news specially for small investors.There must be ruling for the banks to fallow guidelines recommended by the committee.At present even PSU banks like Allahabad bank are doing as per their sweet will and not accessible through e-mail.
This is a very great news for the small depositors, salaried class and of course the pensioners. But how far will the Banks really heed to the recommendations of the Committee is a very big question. In particular, the IBA, the foreign players as well as the private domestic players must be made responsive and at least easily accessible by means of e-mail so that the customers can reach them. Even a PSU bank like the UBI is not really accessible-and fax messages and emails to its CMD DO NOT reach the CMD at all.
Let the Committee call for public responses too through a permanent interactive website as even the IBA DOES NOT respond at all and is NOT accessible through e-mail.
We understand that Banks have the right to review and take appropriate action against their customers whose cheques bounce due to insufficient funds. Hardly any bank bothers about it. In this matter, even when complaints have been submitted to banks, their replies are no good.
We would request that RBI issues clear guideleines to banks to monitor their customer’ accounts and such customers who do not maintain sufficient funds, be reprimanded and hefty fines levied
on them.