Pensioners, farmers stage sit-in against interrupted bank services in Nagarkurnool

Nagarkurnool: With the Union Bank of India officials showing utter negligence and giving irresponsible answers to the queries of their customers, including pensioners and farmers, the villagers of Palam in Bijinepally mandal of Nagarkurnool district staged a protest by blocking the highway and demanded the bank authorities to explain the reasons for not extending services for the last two weeks.

Mallanna, a customer, said that he has been visiting the bank branch located on Palam Iniversity premises for the last five days to withdraw his Rythu Bhandu amount so that he could buy fertilisers and seeds. But the bank officials were turning him away on some pretext or the other. "Every time I come to the bank, they are saying that there is a network problem. It's been more than five days that I am coming to the bank and every time I come here, I see only the board stating that 'Network not available'. I feel they are doing it deliberately and causing inconvenience to the public," said Mallanna.

Another account holder Raju also said that the bankers were forcing him making rounds to the bank for the last 10 days and stating that there was no network and they cannot withdraw the amount.

The plight of old age women pensioners is grave. "I am coming to the bank every day, but only to get back with empty hands. I have no money to buy medicines and depending on the pension amount. But the bank people are not hearing me for the last one week," said Yadamma, an aged pensioner.

Meanwhile, the bankers have been stating that they were helpless as there has been no internet connectivity and without which they cannot carry out day-to-day transactions. They have blamed the BSNL authorities as they have failed to repair the connectivity to the bank in the last one week.