Bhubaneswar, May 2: Expressing deep anguish over the incident involving a tribal man carrying his sister’s exhumed skeleton to a bank in Keonjhar district as proof of death to withdraw her money, BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Saturday wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking clear accountability be immediately fixed for this shocking lapse.
“I write this letter with a sense of deep anguish and urgency to highlight a shocking incident that took place on April 27th in the Malliposi branch of the Odisha Gramya Bank in Keonjhar district,” wrote Patnaik.
The former CM said, “Madam, this incident though isolated gives us an insight to put in place a more humane banking administration especially in remote tribal areas. To begin with, I urge you to ensure that clear accountability be immediately fixed for this shocking lapse. This will send a clear signal to all rural banks to guarantee citizen centric service delivery with empathy and compassion.”
“A tribal citizen, Mr. Jitu Munda was forced to exhume the skeletal remains of his sister and carry it to the bank as proof of her death in order to withdraw his rightful dues. This was after numerous unsuccessful visits to the bank where he failed to get assistance or clarity from the officials,” said Patnaik.
Expressing deep shock over bank's attempt to justify this inhuman conduct, Patnaik said, “What is more shocking is the bank's attempt to justify this inhuman conduct by citing adherence to RBI guidelines. This shows a disturbing intent on the part of the bank officials to hide behind procedures and abandon the very people they are meant to serve. I need not reiterate that in a democracy rules are meant to empower citizens, not humiliate them.”
Patnaik also highlighted that this horrifying incident has outraged public sentiment across Odisha and has also drawn attention in international media, like the New York Post and the BВС.
“I am sure madam, with your compassionate intervention, this kind of inhuman treatment of citizens shall not be repeated anywhere else in the country,” urged the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, a preliminary probe into the shocking incident has indicated that the bank staff may have failed to cooperate with him during the process.
