Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition (LoP) of Odisha Legislative Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, has written a strongly-worded letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, expressing ‘deep anguish’ over Keonjhar incident in which a tribal man was allegedly forced to dig up his deceased sister’s grave and carry her skeletal remains to a bank branch to withdraw her account money.
In the letter, Patnaik described the harrowing experience of Jitu Munda, who visited the Malliposi branch of Odisha Gramya Bank multiple times to withdraw around Rs 20,000 from his sister’s savings account. Despite several attempts, bank officials reportedly insisted he bring the account holder in person. On April 27, in utter desperation, Munda exhumed his sister’s remains to prove her death.
Patnaik strongly condemned the bank’s ‘inhuman conduct’ and its justification citing RBI guidelines. He stated that rules are meant to serve citizens, not humiliate them, especially the vulnerable tribal population in remote areas.
“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”, read Patnaik’s letter.
The former Chief Minister also highlighted that the incident has triggered widespread outrage across Odisha and has drawn significant international attention, with prominent coverage by global media outlets including the New York Post and BBC.
Seeking the Finance Minister’s intervention, the former Chief Minister urged the Union Finance Minister to fix accountability for this lapse and ensure more humane and empathetic banking practices in rural and tribal regions of the country.
“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. I am sure madam, with your compassionate intervention, this kind of inhuman treatment of citizens shall not be repeated anywhere else in the country”, read Patnaik’s letter to the Union Finance Minister.
