UNION BANK RETIRED EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION
One more success story of RTI
Please see the following e-mail received from Shri J.P.Shah, our RTI & Consumer Activist Member.
-B.G.Raithatha,
General Secretary
STATE BANK OF INDIA REFUNDS DEFRAUDED AMOUNT THROUGH RTI PUNCH
Exactly one year ago, an amount of Rs.18500/- was withdrawn from ATM of State Bank of Mysore [SBM] at Belapur near Mumbai, while my friend was having his SBI [State bank of India] ATM card at Junagadh [nearly 700 kms away]. He got SMS for debit. A complaint and claim was lodged with branch of SBI at Junagadh. In addition RTI was filed with SBM for CCTV footage which they supplied through SBI along with reports generated by ATM system.
SBI first treated this as ATM failed transaction [where account is debited and no money dispensed by ATM] and declared that their system shows that transaction was successful. We insisted that this is a case of fraud of card cloning and skimming of PIN. SBI accepted it later on. We supported our claim with information received under RTI Act from SBM and also SBI. In August 2014 SBI agreed to reimburse amount but processing and sanction of claim was inordinately delayed at LHO Ahmedabad. Again RTIs were filed to dig out status and manual extract for ATMs etc. Based on this we lodged detailed complaint to Corporate Center at Mumbai. It did not work for a month and hence on 13-04-2015 email was sent to CMD of SBI with relevant details. On 17-04-2015 bank refunded the amount. As per SBI manual, such claims should have been settled in 33 days from date of complaint but was delayed for one year!!! However, we shall be claiming compensation, interest and expenses shortly through administrative channel as per compensation policy of banks and ensure that accountability for unexplained delay is fixed on officers.
In last one year 7 RTI applications and 3 first appeals were filed with SBM and SBI.
Right from branch head to AGM Junagadh to GM/CGM LHO Ahmedabad, DGM Corporate Center Mumbai and ultimately CMD had to be sensitized for such a small claim.
I do not know what this bank will do with poor illiterate villagers when they will use ATMs under Jan Dhan Yojana of Hon’ble Prime Minister. We shall be submitting details of this case to PMO to ensure that villagers are not harassed by banks at least under PMJDY.
--- J. P. SHAH
RTI & CONSUMER ACTIVIST