Lok Sabha Question No. 188 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-15
Subject: Specialized Services to Senior Citizens and Differently abled Persons
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: ASADUDDIN OWAISI

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.188

## MINISTRY  OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT  OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

TO BE ANSWERED  ON THE 15 TH  December  2017/ Agrahayana  24, 1939 (SAKA) Specialized Services to Senior  Citizens  and Differently  abled Persons

## 188.  SHRI ASADUDDIN  OWAISI:

Will  the Minister  of FINANCE  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  Reserve  Bank of India (RBI) has asked the banks  to provide  specialized  services to senior  citizens and differently  abled persons  through  dedicated  counters  and doorstep  banking,  if so, the details  thereof;
- (b) the  number   of  complaints   received   by   RBI  against   banks   by   such  persons   regarding   non-cooperative attitude  of the banks;
- (c) whether  the banks  have sufficient  staff to provide  doorstep  banking  facilities  to such persons;
- (d) if so, the details  thereof;  and
- (e) the steps taken  or being  taken  by  RBI in coordination with  banks  for such facilities?

## ANSWER

The Minister  of State in the Ministry  of Finance (SHRI SHIV PRATAP  SHUKLA)

(a) to (e): Reserve  Bank  of India (RBI), vide circular  dated November  9, 2017, has required  banks inter alia, to put in place appropriate  mechanism  with  the following  specific provisions  for meeting  the needs of senior  citizens  and differently  abled  persons:

- (b) Prompt   updating   /  uploading   in  Core   Banking   System   by   receiving   branch   of  pension   paying   bank (including  non-home  branch)  of Life Certificate  submitted  by  pensioners
- (a) Dedicated  counters  / preference  to senior  citizens  and differently  abled  persons
- (c) Issue of minimum  25 cheque leaves every  year,  free of charge,  and bank  not to insist  on physical  presence of customers  for getting  cheque  book
- (e) Extension   of  facilities   extended   to  sick   /  old  /  incapacitated   persons   under RBI's  Master   Circular on Customer   Service   in  Banks  (regarding   operations   of  accounts   through   identification of  thumb   /  toe impression   /  mark   by   two   independent   witnesses   and  authorising   a  person   who   would   withdraw the amount  on behalf of such customers) to  visually  impaired  customers
- (d) Automatic  conversion  fully  KYC-compliant  account  into  a Senior  Citizen  Account
- (f) Banks to provide  Form  15G/H prescribed  under Income  Tax Rules once  a year
- (g) Banks  to  make   a  concerted   effort  to  provide   basic  banking   facilities,   such  as  pick   up  of  cash  and instruments  against  receipt,  delivery  of cash against  withdrawal from account,  delivery  of demand  drafts, submission of Know  Your   Customers   (KYC)   documents   and  Life Certificate at the customer's premises/residence

Further,  RBI, vide circulars  dated February  21, 2007 and May  24, 2007, has permitted  banks  to prepare  schemes for offering  doorstep  banking  facilities  to their  customers  to pick  up or deliver  cash or demand  draft either  against cheques  received   at  the  counter   or  requests   received   through   any   secure  convenient   channel,   such  as  phone banking  or Internet  banking.

RBI has informed  that  1,713 and 1,292 complaints  were  received  from senior  citizens  during  2016-17 and 2017-18 (till   November   2017)  respectively   on  various   grounds   of  complaints   specified  in  the  Banking   Ombudsman Scheme. RBI has stated that  'non co-operative  attitude  of banks'  is not a separate  ground  of complaint. Public  Sector  Banks (PSBs) have informed  that  they  have   sufficient  staff to cater  to doorstep  banking  needs of senior  citizens  and differently abled persons.