Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 26 November 2021
Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch is the only nationalised bank branch in Great Nicobar Island. The residents of Great Nicobar and Govt. Servants are wholly dependent on the branch for almost all their banking needs.
The branch is turning out to be a curse for the residents because of the mismanagement. The bank branch has not functioned for the last two working days because of some issues.
According to the sources, some new upgrade in their software is causing the difficulties and the branch has not been able to rectify the fault. The authorities of the branch are deceiving the public by saying that there is a problem with the link.
The bank branch has not been able to provide any services properly to its customers. The pensioners of Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar are also not happy with the services of the bank branch.
The bank staff especially the Manager has been troubling the residents with all the dirty tricks in his book. One 86 year old pensioner is being troubled so much by the bank branch that he has got tired. The bank branch has been illegally holding the fixed deposits of a pensioner even when a reply received through RTI from the bank clearly states that the bank is not holding the Fixed Deposit, but had requested the pensioner to hold the FD. The pensioner wants to withdraw the FD but the Manager of the Bank is not letting him do so.
All loans recommended by the Khadi Village and Industries Board (KVIB) under Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme and forwarded to Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch in the FY 2021-22 were arbitrarily rejected by the bank sighting the reason ‘Beneficiary not reachable/responding’.
Most of the beneficiaries had reached out to the bank and some had even submitted their documents for the sanction of the loan from the bank branch. The Manager of the Bank Branch has arbitrarily rejected their loan applications giving a false reason.
Mr. T. Satya Raj had applied for a loan under PMEGP which was recommended by the KVIB and forwarded to Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch. The bank had issued a letter asking Mr. T Satya Raj to submit the required documents. On 29/10/2021, Mr. T Satya Raj submitted the documents to the bank via registered post. The acknowledgement of the same was also received by him.
Further, Mr. T Satya Raj visited the bank branch and spoke to the Manager who assured him that he will visit the premises rented by Mr. T Satya Raj for the conduct of the business. The Manager did not visit the rented business premises of Mr. T Satya Raj for inspection, neither did he contact the beneficiary, but arbitrarily rejected his loan application by giving a false reason of ‘Beneficiary not reachable/responding’.
When Mr. T Shiva Raj brother of Mr. T Satya Raj visited the Bank Branch to ask for the reason for the rejection of the loan application under PMEGP by giving a false reason, the manager said that he will not give loans for drinking. The Manager insulted a customer on false grounds. Anyone who knows Mr. T Shiva Raj and T Satya Raj knows that they are not drunks but hardworking youth.
Mr. P Kumarasan a differently-abled businessman of Campbell Bay had applied for a loan under PMEGP which was recommended by the KVIB and forwarded to Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch. The bank had issued a letter asking him to submit the required documents. Mr. Kumarasan visited the bank branch and spoke to the Manager. The Manager asked him to open a fixed deposit account for Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees Two Lakhs Only) and then only he will issue the loan. Later his loan application was rejected giving a false reason of ‘Beneficiary not reachable/responding’.
Several other loan applications under PMEGP has been rejected by the Manager, Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch by giving the same false reason.
Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a Govt. of India backed credit-linked subsidy scheme and the Campbell Bay Branch of Canara Bank is cancelling all loan applications under the scheme by giving false reasons.
Many customers of Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch complain on a daily basis about the deficiency of service provided by the bank branch.
Since Canara Bank, Campbell Bay Branch is the only nationalised bank branch in Great Nicobar Island, the customers have no alternative but to anyhow manage with the deficient service.
The bank branch is taking advantage of its monopoly.
Action should be taken against the errant staff of the Bank especially the Manager for the deficient service, trouble to the pensioners and for arbitrarily rejecting all loan applications recommended under PMEGP by giving false reasons.
Canara Bank should also ensure that the services of the bank branch at Campbell Bay should be at par with any of its other branches located elsewhere.