Nagpur: The people attaining old age, suffering from illness, Divyangs who are unable to move physically do not have to visit banks personally to perform financial transactions. The State Government has evolved a working system as per which such persons can do banking operations at their doorsteps.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has repeatedly called upon banks to provide senior citizens and pensioners priority services as means to ease banking operations for such customers. The RBI’s policy of prioritising services also covers people with physical disabilities. The State Finance Department has issued a Government Resolution (GR) according to which the respective banks should provide the senior citizens the facility of joint bank account, appointment of guardian to handle banking services, they should be assisted for putting signature on cheque, if they are not able to sign then their thumb impression be taken.
As per the present working system, pensions of the retired employees are deposited in their respective bank accounts. Employees withdraw money as per their need. But the people suffering from aging, having co-morbidity can’t handle the bank operations. The GR makes it clear that if a person loses his or her strength, he/she should be allowed to open a joint account with the spouse. If they can’t visit the bank or can’t sign a cheque or withdrawal receipt or can’t even give a thumb impression, then in presence of a Bank Officer and a person known to the bank conducts the process like taking the thumb impression of his/her toe.
The bank operations of the senior citizens or the differently abled persons can be done only through the officers of that bank where the person concerned has his/her account. The information of the person who will withdraw the amount from the account of that retired person should be provided to the bank through two witnesses.
