RBI seeks media partnership for Banking Ombudsman Scheme

For creating awareness towards their scheme, to resolve customer grievances against deficiency in banking services

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sought an active partnership with the media for creating awareness towards the Banking Ombudsman (BO) Scheme aimed at resolving customer grievances against deficiency in banking services.

The Scheme, introduced under Section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 by RBI with effect from 1995, provides an expeditious forum to bank customers. BO is a senior official appointed by the RBI to redress customer complaints.

At a conference call in Kanpur, BO Supriya Pattanaik stressed for greater awareness relating to consumer rights and helping bank customers in lodging complaints with the Office of BO (OBO), Kanpur.

During 2015-16, 9,621 complaints were received by the BO of which 8,753 were disposed.

OBO Kanpur had carried forward 589 complaints from previous year.

As on June 30, 2016, only 1,457 complaints were pending, she said and highlighted the 'marked improvement' in resolution through conciliation/letter of satisfaction and declining rejection rates.

She further informed 3,066 complaints were disposed after obtaining reports from concerned banks, 6 complaints through issue of award against banks, 1,255 complaints through mediation and 5,687 complaints were declared non-maintainable on grounds of incomplete details, complaints on subject matter beyond its ambit, complainant approaching BO without first complaining to the bank etc.

During 2015-16, the OBO had also organised two Financial Awareness & Customer Meet Programmes in Uttar Pradesh.

Pattanaik said the rate of rejection in the later half of the financial year had reduced drastically and credit card related complaints were negligible in comparison to ATM card related frauds.

The preponderance of complaints against SBI was on account of their large network and when considered on an average basis it was comparable with any other bank, she added.

Meanwhile, the BO urged the banks to expedite submission of replies to enable expeditious closure of complaints.