Revenue Department’s continuous disregard of rule of law

In my previous post, I pointed about how even online patta transfer applicants are made to suffer at the hands of some corrupt officials. Now, in this post, I will be discussing the existing scenario about the indirect Patta transfer application which is made through the Registration department via Sub-Registrar Office. 

Patta transfer application through Sub-Registrar’s Office

As per Revenue Standing Order -31, Rule-9, whenever a person buys an immovable property by a deed of conveyance, or gets property through family partition or gift or transfer of possession by any other kind of instrument and registers it at the concerned Sub-Registrar’s office, the Sub-Registrar send the document to the Taluka Office for making necessary changes in the Patta of the concerned property, which is maintained by the Taluka Office or Deputy Zonal Tasildar, in whose jurisdiction the land in question is located. Similarly, if a particular property’s boundary gets altered due to changes in ownership arising out of sales or family partition etc., then during its registration, the Sub-Registrar also collects Sub-Division fee of Rs.40/ per survey number and forward the same as well to the concerned Taluka Office for effecting sub-division of the said immovable property.

Duty of the Deputy Tasildar

Once Deputy Zonal Tasildar gets the copy of the Patta transfer & Sub-Division (if any) applications and documents related to change in ownership of immovable property situated under its jurisdiction, then he needs to treat such application as if he had received it by the revenue officer directly. Then, with the help of the Village Administrative Officer of the concerned revenue village, the Deputy Zonal Tasildar has to make changes (mutation) in the Patta, by entering the new owner in the record. Similarly, the Deputy Zonal Tasildar will have to ensure that the property gets surveyed and sub-divided through the Surveyor and Village Administrative Officer and allot a new Survey Number to the said property upon receiving applications from the Sub-Registrar. This thing needs to be done within 15 days of receiving the applications from the Sub-Registrar.

Revenue authorities violating the rule of law

Most of the citizens in Tamil Nadu do not know about the existence of this rule and as a result, the revenue authorities are not taking it seriously enough to effect mutation on receiving applications from the Sub-Registrar’s Office. Revenue authorities like Village Administrative Officers (VAO) and Deputy Thsildars also compel citizens to apply freshly online. Because of this, thousands of citizens in the state of Tamil Nadu are spending their hard-earned money and time in applying for the transfer of Patta's and Sub-Division of their immovable property, although they have already paid for patta transfer and sub-division for their acquired property at the time of registration.

Because of this disrespect of law on the part of revenue authorities many citizens are in spite of being the owner of the property does not have patta in their name.

Not even obeying Judiciary’s pronouncement

On 06.02.2015, the Honourable Madras High Court (Madurai Division) in the case titled, Consumer Rights Protection Council v Tamil Nadu Government [Writ Petition (MD) No.8250 of 2008 and M.P (MD) No. 1 of 2008], held that once the Sub-Registrar is entrusted to collect a fee for patta transfer during the registration of the property as per G.O.Ms. No.916 CT & RE Department, dated 23.08.1984, then there is no requirement of paying again at the Taluka Office for the same purpose of patta transfer.

Still, most of Deputy Tasildars are not adhering to the above said judicial pronouncement, thereby acting against the rule of law, and in spite of this, no officer got punished for such a continuous disregard of rule of law.

I am also handling one such case, where the Sub-Division fee of Rs.40 paid for each survey number at the time of registration of the property at the Sub-Registrar Office (way back in 2005, 2009 & 2011). However, nothing happened till date. Upon seeking the status through RTI application, Deputy Tahsildar replies that Sub-Division can be made only if you apply through an online mode.

#VAO #Pattatransfer #Tasildar

Patta transfer applicants are suffering at the hands of corrupt officers

There is no respect for Rule of Law in some of Taluka Offices of Tamil Nadu in relation to change of Patta or mutation of immovable property situated in areas under its revenue jurisdiction. As per Citizen Charter of Revenue Department of Tamil Nadu, the Deputy Tahsildar is bound to make necessary changes in the Patta within 15 days of receiving the application from the applicant or owner of the property. However, in reality, nothing happens without paying the bribe to the authorities. Even the online application system for effecting changes in Patta of agricultural lands also did not deter them from demanding the bribe from the applicant.

Role of Village Administrative Officer

Although the final authority for making changes in the Patta is Deputy Tahsildar, the Village Administrative Officer of a particular Revenue Village needs to examine the field as well as property documents and gives the report to the Deputy Tahsildar for effecting necessary changes in the said Patta or revenue record. In other words, an application for Patta will have to pass through the Village Administrative Officer of the respective revenue villages, where the said land is located.

Misuse of power

By taking advantage of this situation, some Village Administrative Officers receive the bribe from innocent citizens ranging from Rs.2000/- to Rs.20000/- according to the properties involved and also according to the parties involved. If an applicant is poor or uneducated, then the officer tries to extract the largest sum as a bribe. In spite of getting the bribe from the poor person, the officer will treat him/her in an undignified way.

The application of the applicant who refuses to pay a bribe would be kept in a pending mode for months. Then suddenly, he/she will get an SMS from the Taluka Office/Deputy Tahsildar stating “your application has been rejected”. And no reasons will be given at all. Thereby violating the principle of natural justice of the applicant. An applicant has to make the extra effort of sending an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 for seeking reasons for rejection of his'/her Patta application.

I get to know that the Village Administrative Officer collects the bribe and share a particular percentage with the Deputy Tahsildar, who is the final authority for executing changes in the revenue records/Pattas. In fact, few Village Administrative Officers openly seek bribe by stating that “I need to submit accounts of bribe taken to the Deputy Tahsildar” while justifying his demand for a bribe from the applicants.

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Cost of not giving bribe

Because of this illegal and inhuman act of revenue officers, many rural citizens are not able to avail of various government schemes and have to face the inconvenience of taking Xerox copies of voluminous registered property documents for every loan application. If a person possesses Patta in his name, then he does not need to provide registered copies of property documents for getting loans like crop loans, cattle loans, cattle-shed loans, etc. By providing a single copy of the Patta would be enough for proving the possession of a particular property. Therefore, the applicant who pays the bribe for getting the patta transferred faces losses for a single time whereas the one who defies corrupt officers ends up a loser for his life until some honest officer considers his lawful application as per rule of law.

Therefore, the time has come to report such incidences to their higher authority so that they can be punished as per the law. If the higher authority fails to act, then we should consider approaching the Vigilance Commission or even Court seeking appropriate relief as per the procedure established by the law.

#Patta #bribe #DeputyTasildar #VAO

Illegal act of Police Officer and use of Diplomacy as a tool to counter it

It is said that Police Officers are friend to the citizen. However, I get to see the reality turning out to be different, at least in some parts of Tamil Nadu. I am making this statement only after myself having provided legal advice to the citizens, whose fundamental rights are violated and also humiliated by the illegal activities of the police officers. Things are worse to the extent that even a citizen whose rights are violated by the extra-judicial activities of the police officer also not ready to file a complaint against the said police officer out of fear of vendetta.

Therefore, I had to make sure that the innocent rural citizen’s rights are protected and at the same time, the concerned police officer not indulges in a vendetta against the said person. Hence, I used Diplomacy as a tool to counter the police officer in order to protect the dignity of the aggrieved citizen.

Incidence 

A Sub-Inspector of Police located at one of the police stations in the state of Tamil Nadu acted in an undignified manner with an innocent rural citizen. At the midnight of around 2 AM, he visited the residence of the citizen along with a constable and awoke when he was sleeping.

Communication between the Police Officer and a citizen:-

Police Officer: Against your name, a warrant is pending for execution with our Police Station

Citizen: (In a state of shock and in a raised voice) in which case sir? As for my knowledge is concerned, against me there is only one case. for that also the warrant was recalled by the magistrate last month itself”.

Police Officer: - (got offended and abused the citizen) don’t raise your voice. I will beat you with my feet, do you know who I am?... By the way, what is your educational qualification?”

Citizen:  “Xth Standard Sir”.

Police Officer:  I am an educated officer. I have three letters qualification… look here (by pointing to his name batch) ‘BCA’. Don’t try to be over smart. I am a police officer. Speak Politely before me.

Citizen: Sir I am not disrespecting you. Kindly let me know in which case do you have a warrant against me?

Police Officer: (After a conversation of over the phone with somebody to know the case details regarding which the allegedly warrant is pending for execution) Ok do come to the Police Station tomorrow (in a rude manner).

In this case, the citizen wanted my assistance in handling this officer without offending him. Therefore, I drafted a letter having the following contents:-

Firstly, I am not able to understand what is the reason for disturbing me while I was sleeping in my house that too in the middle of the night, that too by stating the fact, which is not at all true. 

Secondly, the Indian Constitution provides an equal right to all and nobody above the law, whether he is Doctorate or Uneducated, IAS officer, or Daily Labourer… nothing matters before the eyes of the law. In such a case how come your educational degree (B.C.A) would be a reason to humiliate me? It is none of my business to know your educational qualifications. You should understand that I have every right to ask questions when my rights are violated. In my view, you are a public servant, therefore, I addressed you as “Sir”. As far as my raised volume is concerned, I was in the state of shock hearing the warrant, that’s why I had to state the fact to you. You should understand that it is human nature to respond to the shocking news with a sound response. However, it is you, who without any respect to my age threatened to beat me by using vulgar language that too before my neighbours. You are the one who insulted me.

I have never afraid of insults because I have been bearing this many times for the past 6 years while fighting against corruption. So, these kinds of insults are not new to me.

I want to make it clear to you that, I may be studied till 10^th Standard in school, however, I have more experience than you, which the life has taught me in these 43 years. Therefore, I would humbly request you not to measure a citizen only by his educational qualification. The only purpose of this letter is to make you realize the mistake committed by you. Nothing else.

As advised, the aggrieved person sent the letter to the same Sub-Inspector. This diplomatic letter turned out to be successful in changing the attitude of the said Police Officer towards the above-said citizen, who is an anti-corruption activist as well. And nowadays, he treats this citizen with due respect and in fact, in his presence, the officer treats everybody cordially.

Although the above said officer’s conduct is a serious violation of human rights, citizens are not ready to come forward to fight against the illegal act of Police Officers due to fear of vendetta. Therefore, I had to limit myself with the diplomatic approach, wherein without any further inconvenience, the citizen got peace of mind.

#TamilNadu #TNPolice #Police #HumanRights #Diplomacy

Illegal act of a Sub-Inspector of Police,Chettinadu

Police Department plays an important role in protecting the rights of fellow citizens and thus has our country’s legal system has provided special powers to the officers working under this department.  And it is, in fact, playing a crucial role in maintaining law and order in the country. However, due to the illegal activities of a few of its officers, the faith kept by the citizen on the Police is diminishing day by day.

Recently, a person working with a Public Sector Undertaking company has become a victim of an illegal and autocratic act of a Sub-Inspector of Police, Chettinadu Police Station in the state of Tamil Nadu. According to him, on 8.12.2017 at around 5:30 PM, he and his colleague have gone to check flats (for the purpose of purchasing) in the nearby area of Chettinadu Police Station. At that time, Mr.Chandran, the Sub-Inspector of Chettinad Police Station made an inquiry about their name and address and got their Aadhar Card and  Driving Licence. However, after getting the Driving License, the officer did not return the license but, took it away by stating that “get your license from the Police Station”, without giving any reason whatsoever. Upon asking at the Police Station, the official at the station told the person, that “Mr.Chandran is not in the Station”.

He was made to visit the Police Station more than 10 times. On 23.12.2017, one of the officers at the Police Station demanded Rs.1000/- as a bribe from the person in order to return the Driving License.

The affected person filed an online complaint on 26.12.2017 through Tamil Nadu Police Department’s website. However, for that, the Police Department without holding any inquiry and without contacting the complainant closed the complaint by denying the occurrence of such an incident.

This kind of act itself deems to be an autocratic act. How can one dispose of the complaint without summoning the parties to the complaint and conducting an inquiry with them? Instead of holding an inquiry, the police department acted against the principle of natural justice, thereby doing the greatest disservice to the person whose right to freedom (of movement) has been curtailed because of illegal appropriation of driving license from the said person. Now, for more than a month he is not able to drive a motorcycle because of this illegal act of the police officer. 

Now, the aggrieved person is about to file a complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Sivagangai (who is the supervising authority of Chettinadu Police Station ) about this incident. I hope appropriate action will be taken against the erring police official and the Driving License of the aggrieved person would be returned. 

An effort to get ration card for poor and deserving villagers - Part-II

Many poor families in the villages of Thiruppeyar, Thiruppeyar Thakka, and Pudukalani are not having a ration card for more than 6 years.  Earlier, they had their names on their parents’ ration cards; however, once they got their own family and children, their name was removed from the existing ration card. Therefore, such people had applied for a new ration card. However, upon applying for a new ration card, their applications were never processed by the concerned Ulundurpettai Taluka Office. More than 40 families from these villages are living without a ration card even now.

Many of them have made applications more than five times. However, there were no official communications about their applications. Only the applicants who filed RTI application, issued a legal notice, RTI seeking ration card could get a ration card. That too after extraordinary delay as mentioned in my previous post.

It was stated by the Taluka Supply Officer (TSO), Ulundurpettai that the district administration temporarily stopped issuing a ration card and however resumed now (2016 July) in one of RTI reply. However, there was no reason for that as well. Even after that period also ration card was not issued to the above said villagers except the one who took an extraordinary effort of issuing a legal notice.

In an effort to get a ration card for the poor villagers, on 08.11.2016, I filed RTI application before the District Supply Office, Villupuram seeking a copy of the order of the district administration, which instructs concerned authorities to stop the printing of ration card temporarily for Ulundurpettai Taluka and the number of ration card issued to residents belong to Ulundurpettai Taluka village-wise during January 2011 to October 2016. For that, the said application was transferred to Ulundurpettai Taluka Office. However, till date, there was no reply from either of said office.

I also contacted the Taluka Supply Office to request him to process the ration card applications of these poor villagers. For that, he stated that many of the applications were not properly filed. Therefore, I and my brother helped around 20 applicants to file new ration card applications during the month of December 2016.

Then in the month of March 2017, the Tamil Nadu Government announced that from the 1^st April 2017 ration card applications must be filed in online mode. Taking this as an excuse, the Taluka Supply Officer, asked the applicant to file again through online mode. Against this, I Issued legal notice to the Taluka Supply Officer (TSO) as well as District Supply Officer on 18.04.2017 requesting processing of ration card application and opposing TSO’s arbitrariness. For that, the District Supply Officer instructed the TSO to take necessary action. However, nothing happened. Meanwhile, villagers also started applying for ration card through online mode as well. Still, their applications were not processed by the concerned authorities.

On 08.09.2017, I sent a legal notice on the behalf of 22 ration card applicants, this time to the District Collector, Villupuram & Principal Secretary, Food & Civil Supply Department as well. For the District Collector instructed the TSO, Ulundurpettai to take action immediate action. And even upon Principal Secretary’s reference, the Commissioner of Food Supply & Consumer Protection Department also instructed via a letter dated 22.09.2017 to the District administration to take immediate action to redress the grievances of the ration card applicant. However, nothing has been done till date. As of now to my knowledge, there are 35 ration card applicants, who are waiting for more than 8 months after applying through online mode, and authorities are not ready to process.

On 8^th January 2018, I contacted the Deputy Commissioner’s office (Food Supply & Consumer Protection Department) at 9445000150 and complained about the failure of Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai to process ration card applications. For that, he stated that the processing of a new ration card has been stopped in order to facilitate the printing of smart cards to the existing ration cardholders. He also stated that it will take at least two more months for starting the processing of new applications. Therefore, I have now filed an RTI application seeking a copy of the Government instruction/order, which states the above said reason for stopping the processing of the ration card applicants. 

#PDS #RationCard #Ration #TSO #Food #FoodSupply

An effort to get ration card for poor and deserving villagers - Part-I

Ration Card holders in Tamil Nadu are getting free rice of 25 kg per month through Public Distribution System (PDS) from the date of 01.06.2011, in addition to other subsidized food-grains. However, the Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai was reluctant to issue new ration card to the eligible residents of our villages namely Thiruppeyar Thakka, Thiruppeyar, and Pudukeni. This is, in spite of the fact that, they have applied for the same. 

I came across four ration card applicants, who applied for a ration card at the Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai way back in 09.01.2012, 11.12.2013, 11.08.2015 & 07.01.2014. They narrated their ordeals because of lack of ration card and also complained about the irresponsible attitude and inaction of the Taluka Supply Officer. 

In an effort to get ration card to them, I drafted RTI application for them seeking the reason for extra-ordinate delay in issuing ration card, which was sent on 29.06.2016 to the Public Information Officer, Taluka Supply Office. However, it did not elicit any response within the prescribed time of 48 hours.

Therefore, under RTI Act, the first appeal dated 15.07.2016 was sent by all of the above four applicants. For that, the First Appellate Authority, who is also District Supply Officer at that time, replied via letters no.Na.ka.S2/5596/2016 to Na.Ka.S2/5599/2016 dated NIL.08.2016, by stating that “due to some administrative reason printing of ration card has been stopped temporarily and recently we have been instructed to start verification process again on the pending ration card applications according to government rules and thereafter, would be sent to District Supply Officer’s office for printing”.

There was no development regarding ration card until September 2016. Therefore, those four applicants issued legal notice on 01.09.2016 demanding ration card and compensation for the extraordinary delay and the same has been sent to the Taluka Supply Officer (Ulundurpettai), District Supply Officer (Villupuram) and District Collector, Villupuram. In spite of that, there was no response from any of the officers. Finally, in the month of February 2017, the applicants got their new ration cards.

In order to get the basic thing done from the public authority without paying a bribe, they had to fight for their rights by sending RTI applications, first appeals and legal notices. They (four applicants) had to incur Rs.200/- each for documentation and postal charges. In spite of this, they had to wait for many months. 

This is the reality of the working of the Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai and nothing has been changed till this day. Rule of Law nowhere exists in their office.

 I will explain about my next stage of effort in the next blog.

Welfare Schemes not reaching to those who are in need

A 50 year old lady, an agricultural labourer from Thiruppeyar Thakka Village contacted me a year ago to unveil her frustration over failure to get Financial Assistance from Tamil Nadu Government in spite of being eligible to get the said Social Welfare Scheme. She had to run pillar to post, from block level officers to district level but did not get any relief, except the word of “your application got rejected and nothing can be done now”.

She had applied for a scheme named “MOOVALUR RAMAMIRTHAM AMMAIYAR NINAIVU MARRIAGE ASSISTANCE SCHEME”. This scheme is meant for providing financial assistance to poor parents to help them in getting their daughters married and to promote the educational status of poor girls. Hence, the main criteria for availing this scheme is that the bride should have been completed 18 years at the time of marriage and studied at least till 10^th Standard for availing Rs.25000/- cash and 4 gram of gold coin or in case the bride has done Graduation, her parents would be entitled to get Rs.50,000 along with 4 gram gold coin.

Application through online mode

She had applied for the above-said scheme via online, a day before her daughter’s marriage through an e-service centre run by Co-operative Society. She handed over all the documents of her daughter’s photograph, Identity Proof, School Transfer Certificate, Mark Sheets, Family Income Certificate, and Community Certificate to the computer operator who fills and uploads all these documents to complete the application. However, he returned back the 10^th & 12^th standard’s mark sheets stating that there is no need to upload these documents as the School Transfer Certificate of 12^th Standard is more than enough for education proof. Therefore, he refused to upload mark sheets.

Repeated Petitions made

After a couple of months, she went to the Block Development Office to inquire into the status. The officer out there told her that it is under process and will take some time. Then, a few days later she approached District Collectorate office, there she came to know that, uploading of mark sheet is compulsory. Then she gave the copy of mark sheet to the officer at the Social Welfare Department. However, she has not issued a receipt for the same. Then she waited for months, still there was no response and then she made several petitions to the district administration but again she got no response to any of those petitions. Almost, a year has gone like this.

RTI applications

When she narrated all these things to me in the month of November, 2016, I suggested her to file RTI petition seeking the status of her online application and I myself drafted & sent to District Social Welfare Department. For that, they replied on 29-12-2016, stating that “your online application did not have any document to prove educational qualification of the bride. Hence, has been rejected on that ground”. But, in reality, the applicant had uploaded her daughter’s 12^th Std’s School Transfer Certificate. And this information has been concealed by the said public information officer. Then stating this, a letter dated 23-01-2017 has been sent to the concerned District Welfare Officer. However, it did not elicit any response, therefore, the applicant made several direct representations to the concerned office yet again, but did not get any constructive response. Therefore, I drafted another RTI application dated 04-05-2017 for her, this time sought a copy of the online application along with documents uploaded with that application. To that, the applicant got the print out copy of all those documents which were uploaded on 01-04-2015, (the application date) and from that, we found the 12^th Standard School Transfer Certificate (12th Passing Certificate) as well.

On the strength of this evidence, I escalated this issue to the District Collector through a registered post letter dated 26-06-2017 and a copy of that letter was sent to District Welfare Officer as well. However, there was no response from anybody.

Therefore, on 07-08-2017, I went along with the applicant to the District Welfare Office with RTI replies and letters and other documents including original mark sheets of applicant’s daughter.

Locus Standi of an Advocate Questioned

When I started to put applicant’s side of the story, the District Welfare Officer stopped me and questioned my locus standi. Upon stating that I am a licensed advocate, she (the officer) stated that “advocates are supposed to argue only in the court”. For that, I clarified her by stating that, “I have taken the oath to uphold the Constitution of India and Rule of Law, therefore, it is my professional duty to fight for the rule of law and justice irrespective of whether it is a court or any place for that matter”.

Then I put across my points ranging from ignorance of law, legitimate expectation, eligibility criteria, purpose of rules & regulation and exercise of discretion in following ways:-

1. Ignorance

Firstly, it was not applicant’s mistake rather the computer operators’, who refused to scan 10th & 12th Standard Mark Sheets of the applicant’s daughter stating that 12th School Transfer Certificate is enough to prove educational qualification. The applicant is an uneducated woman and had no exact knowledge about the document required for the said scheme, therefore acted as per advice tendered to her by the computer operator.

2. Legitimate Expectation

Secondly, the applicant has uploaded the 12th  Standard’s School Transfer Certificate issued by Directorate of School Education of Tamil Nadu Government, which is in itself is a proof to show that the applicant’s daughter is 12^th passed. Therefore, prima facie there should be no doubt over the educational qualification of the applicant’s daughter. Therefore, it is legitimate, reasonable and prudent to presume that the applicant has submitted an academic document of her daughter at the time of making an online application.

Even if there is any doubt arises, then also the officer is always welcome to seek the original academic documents including mark sheets any time from the applicant.

3. Eligibility Criteria

Thirdly, the applicant has all the qualification as per the requirement of Marriage assistance scheme. She is from Most Backward Class, her annual family income is only Rs.50, 000/-, her daughter is above 18 years old at the time of application and has passed 12^th Standard from the Government School.

Rules and Regulations are there for advancing Social Welfare

Fourthly, I concluded my argument by stating that, one should not search reason or rules in the strict sense for rejecting social welfare benefits to the needy and deserving people. After all, rules and regulations are there for extending social welfare schemes to the maximum deserving people. Therefore, merely quoting technical reasons like: “the failure to upload mark sheet at the time of making online application” cannot be a reason enough to reject the social welfare scheme, which is meant for poor and weaker sections of the society.

4. Exercise of discretion

And finally, I humbly requested the officer, if she could exercise her discretion to approve the application on the basis of School Leaving Certificate of 12^th Standard and upon seeing the original Mark Sheets. For that, she observed that “I cannot do that, as I need to answer during audit”. For that, I suggested her that, “you can always make special remark by stating the above-said circumstances in the said file noting”. However, she chose to reject my suggestion by stating that, “it does not work like this”.

In spite of hearing these arguments, the Social Welfare Officer did not change her stand of rejecting the application of marriage assistance scheme on the ground of failure to submit mark sheet by showing the rule book for the said scheme. Therefore, on the same day, we had sent a letter to the District Collector stating all these grounds.

Letter from the Officer

To our surprise, on 11-08-2017, the applicant got a letter from the District Social Welfare Officer, stating that her application for marriage assistance scheme has been forwarded to the Director of Social Welfare Department, Chennai for seeking special approval, stating the applicant failed to attach mark sheet and uploaded only School Leaving Certificate at the time of application.

However, till date, there is no information from the Social Welfare Department, Chennai or Villupuram. I am planning to visit the office of the Director of Social Welfare Department shortly regarding this issue. Hoping for the good news!!!

Due to lack of proper publicity of the schemes and the government officer’s attitude of quoting rulebook for finding fault in the application in order to reject applications are making things difficult for rural poor and therefore, welfare schemes are not able to reach to those who are in need, thereby they are being denied, Justice.

Indian Overseas Bank pays compensation for deficiency of services

The Indian Overseas Bank, Ulundurpettai branch has made inordinate delay in updating its savings bank account holder's phone number and issuing an ATM card/Debit Card. Besides that, it also failed to upload its customer's signature in the Banking System records. As a result, the customer was unable to use other branch’s services to withdraw money from her savings account.

Immediately, the customer sent a complaint regarding the same to the Chief Manager of the Ulundurpettai Indian Overseas Bank as well as CEO of the Indian Overseas Bank, Chennai.  Even after that also the bank delayed in providing an ATM card. Therefore, the customer approached Banking Ombudsman by way of online complaint at https://secweb.rbi.org.in/BO/precompltindex.htm to get an ATM card as well as compensation for the inconvenience caused due to deficiency of services caused by the Indian Overseas Bank, Ulundurpettai.

After that under the pressure from the Banking Ombudsman, the bank had to issue an ATM card to the customer. And also on the part of Banking Ombudsman, Chennai, it issued a direction to the bank to pay compensation of Rs.2000/- for the inconvenience caused to the customer for deficiency of services through order Ref. No.BO (Che)/ 16, November, 2017/C-0010/2017-18.

The procedure followed by the customer:-

At first, she sent a complaint letter to the Branch and the CEO of IOB, and upon failure of that, she mailed her grievances to the Chief Manager of the Ulundurpettai IOB. Half of her grievances were solved by the bank with this action.

However, they delayed the issuing of the ATM card in spite of this. Then she started her next stage of action, which was filing an online complaint with Banking Ombudsman along with above-said copies of letters, postal receipts, and email.

Here, in this case, the customer has faced her grievance systematically by going with step by step process and finally, her problems were addressed by the bank and also got compensation of Rs.2000/- from the Indian Overseas Bank, Ulundurpettai. Thereby, she successfully fought with the bank to establish the Rule of Law.

#Bank #deficiency #ATMCard #DebitCard #IOB #Ombudsman #Banking #onlinecomplaint #Compensation