The United Forum of Bank Unions, in a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has sought an increase in the workforce at branches and enhanced security measures to manage the rising customer volume amid the implementation of the state government’s Ladki Bahin Scheme.
According to the bankers’ union, the implementation of the new scheme for underprivileged women (Ladki Bahin scheme) is facing significant difficulties at bank branches. A major problem is the overwhelming demand for new savings accounts, which has led to long queues and customer frustration due to lack of staff at branches. This rush is exacerbated by the need to seed Aadhaar in about 20 per cent of accounts, leading to delays and customer dissatisfaction.
Moreover, many accounts initially opened under the Jandhan scheme have been converted into general savings accounts, accumulating various charges such as minimum balance charges, SMS charges and others. These accumulated charges have reduced the balances of accounts receiving government credits, leading to disappointment among beneficiaries who were expecting to receive a specific amount.
In addition, some beneficiaries with delinquent accounts face restrictions that prevent them from accessing benefits, resulting in riots and even violence at branches.
These problems have led to chaos and unrest at branches, with fights between beneficiaries and staff. In some cases, customers have become violent and bank counter staff have been harassed.
To address these issues, the union said increasing staffing at branches and improving security are critical to effectively managing high customer volumes. Without these measures, the expected benefits of the plan may be overshadowed by growing dissatisfaction and negative outcomes.
First published: August 18, 2024 | 19:45 IS
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