------------------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help other CONSUMERS to be better informed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN writes to Collector, seeks intervention on Indian Overseas Bank plan to close 4 Branches in South Goa District by 15th June ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN in a letter to the District Collector Ajit Roy has sought his intervention to avoid inconvenience that maybe caused to the customers from South Goa due to the short notice given on the closure of 4 branches of Indian Overseas Bank effective from 15th June amid the COVID-19 related lockdown.
GOACAN in its letter has expressed concern over the Notice to Customers issued by the Chief Regional Manager of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) about the merger of three branches in Salcete Taluka and one in Ponda Taluka vide an Advertisement in The Navhind Times on 28th May 2020. It may be noted that in South Goa District the IOB will be merging in Salcete Taluka the Seraulim Branch & the Chinchinim Branch with the Margao Branch, Chandor Branch with the Davorlim Branch and in Ponda Taluka, the Talaulim Branch with the Ponda Branch. As the Advert states with effect from 15th June 2020 (Monday) all the accounts will be transferred automatically to the new branches. GOACAN in its letter to the District Collector has pointed out that:- (1) The merger of the bank branches of IOB is announced to customers while the lockdown due to COVID-19 is in force and the notice time given is 15th June which means from 28th May to 14th June is 18 days, however since there are 5 bank holidays there are effectively only 13 working days left for customers to act. It is now known that this merger process was originally intimated to the DM's office in February 2020 when the lockdown due to COVID-19 was not in force. (2) In the past during the merger of branches of other banks in Goa, GOACAN has received many complaints that issues such as, personal intimation like letter by Registered AD, email, whatsapp was not done, enough notice was not given to the Customers to take suitable action, Complaint Book was not provided for customers to register their complaints, a Nodal Grievance Redressal Officer was not notified during the merger process, the facility of the Banking Ombudsmen was not informed to the Customers, future course of pending complaints was not informed etc. (3) As this merger process is happening during the time of the lockdown when many persons are outside Goa and are in the process of returning to the State, it is important that customers who are seafarers, those working overseas and more particularly housewives & senior citizens living in Goa need to be given special attention. (4) Transactions linked to Fixed Deposits, Loan Accounts, NRI Accounts and Lockers are some of those that require more time & personal attention from the staff in the branches that are getting merged. (5) When the IOB Cuncolim Branch was being merged with the Margao branch in 2018 the Cuncolim Civic & Consumer Forum (CCCF) had pointed out to the then Branch Manager the hardships that will be caused to the large number of migrant workers from the Cuncolim Industrial Estate who had accounts in the Branch and were unaware of the merger as the intimation of the same was only a newspaper advert. It was then suggested that a special drive be undertaken to inform the migrant workers at Cuncolim Industrial Estate with the assistance of GIDC. (6) It is sad that in this digital age where correspondence by email is important, the Chief Regional Manager has in the Advert (Notice to Customers) chosen to provide only landlines as a communication option for customers and that to which are available only during office timings. No email ids for the respective branches, not even the website of IOB has been provided in this Public Notice, thereby restricting communications between customers and the respective branches during these 13 intervening days. GOACAN has also sought the intervention of the Collector in his capacity as Chairman South Goa District Consumer Protection Council to ensure that the issues raised get special attention from Shri. Rajiv Tiwari Lead District Manager (South Goa) and that the Chief Regional Manager, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) provides a compliance report of the same. Copies of the GOACAN letter have been sent to the Chief Secretary, Finance Secretary, Secretary Civil Supplies, Lead District Manager (South Goa), Chief Manager (Financial Inclusion) SBI, Assistant General Manager (Financial Inclusion) RBI Goa and Director Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs. ------------------------------------------------------------ http://epaper.navhindtimes.in/PageImages/storyImages/2020/05/28/14539.jpg ----------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 28/5/2020 -----------------------------------------