Lok Sabha Question No. 4710 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-23
Subject: Safety Measures in Banks
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: T. RADHAKRISHNAN, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT  OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4710 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23 rd  MARCH 2018/  CHAITRA  2, 1940  (SAKA)

Safety Measures in Banks

4710. SHRI T.  RADHAKRISHNAN:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM  GAIKWAD: KUNWAR HARIBANSH  SINGH: SHRI GAJANAN  KIRTIKAR:

SHRI S.R.  VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN  MAHATO:

SHRI NARANBHAI  KACHHADIYA:

Will  the Minister  of FINANCE  be pleased to state:

- (a) the details  of the role  of the banks  in providing  locker  services  to the customers;
- (b) whether  the security  in banks  and banks'  lockers  are in vulnerable  condition  and security  persons deployed  in banks  have not been provided  sophisticated  weapons  to safeguard  bank  theft besides nonprovision  of CCTV camera in bank  lockers;
- (c) if  so,  the  details   thereof   and  the  reasons  for  the  same  along   with   the  corrective   measures taken/being  taken  by  the Government  in this regard;
- (d) whether   the  Public   Sector   Banks   (PSBs)  are not  taking   responsibility for  theft   or looting   or tempering  of bank  lockers  through  the banks  charges heavily   as annually locker  fees from customers; and
- (e) if  so,  whether   the  Reserve   Bank of  India  (RBI)  has  issued  instructions   to banks  that   the responsibility of safety  for the valuable  things  kept  in the bank  lockers  lies with  the customers,  if so, the details  thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (e):In providing  bank  lockers,  banks  have the role  of the lessor, in relation  to the customer,  who is the  lessee.

Public  Sector  Banks have apprised  that  safe deposit  lockers  in banks  are secure. Locker  units  are kept either   in  strong   rooms   or in  a safe  as  per  Bureau   of  Indian   Standards  specifications.  Further,  armed guards of the bank  are provided  with  legally  permitted  weapons  for providing  security  to bank's  assets during  working  hours  in all  such branches  which  are vulnerable to crime.

RBI's guidelines  require  banks  to carry  out customer due-diligence  for allotment  of lockers,  exercise due care and necessary  precautions  for protection  of lockers  provided  to customers,  review  systems  in force  for  operation   of  safe  deposit   vaults/lockers, and  have  in  place  well-documented   security procedures  and properly  trained  staff.

As  per  inputs   from PSBs,  banks   exercise   reasonable   care  and  precaution   for  the  protection   of  the strong   room and  the  lockers   provided   in  it  but  have  no  knowledge   of  the  contents   of  the  lockers. However,  since the nature  of the agreement  between  the bank  and the customer  is one between  a lessor and a lessee, the point  of responsibility is dependent  on the facts of each case, and the bank  has to compensate  the customer if  it is found  responsible  for loss of content.