Courtesy Access India discussion
Wed Mar 28 04:18:44 CDT 2007
ATM Cards For the Blind: Information Required.
Hey friends, many of us are facing the same problem. I have also faced the same problem with ICICI bank. There is no uniform practice followed by the banks. Some of the banks such as PNB have taken clearcut policy decision that they would not issue ATM cards to VI person nor they would allow them to avail the facility of Net banking. I have the copy of the Prasanna Pincha case. I have also the copy of the petition which was filed by him. In my view, we should file a public interest petition in the Supreme Court requesting to issue a clear cut guideline to public sector as well as the private banks keeping in view the developments which have taken place within the area of assistive technology through which we can have access to the net banking facility. I will discuss the judgement in my next mail with you.
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Message: 1 Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:39:18 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [AI] final judgement of Prasanna Kumar Pincha Vs. union of India!
Dear Friends,
If anybody has the final judgement on Prasanna Kumar Pincha Vs. Union of India, please do send at the earliest. I had warned the ICICI Bank of legal action in case they fail to respond to my application for opening a normal account providing all the facilities given to a usual customer.
Now they have agreed for providing me the same facilities given I give them an undertaking to this effect that those facilities would be on my own risk. However, by mistake I provided them with CCPD judgement on the banking for disabled which lays down this condition that a visually challenged person could be issued a crossed cheque at his own risk by taking an undertaking to this effect from him. If I could have the above said judgment then I could show them the High Court decision which bars such conditions. please do help at the earliest.
One of my friends has been refused ATM card by SBI though the branch manager opened an account after a lot of fuss. I know that SBI has issued ATM cards and some accessible ATM counters have been opened in India. Would you please inform me the details and also the rules on it?
Best regards,
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Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:34:31 +0530
Re: [AI] final judgement of Prasanna Kumar Pincha Vs. union of India!
I wonder, why such cumbersome proceedings were required to open an account in the first place? I have a trading/saving account with icici bank. I had mentioned my disability and they had no objections over it. I am using debit card, online trading, internet banking and all other facilities without any undertaking. My case was resolved from their head branch in Mumbai.
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Message: 8 Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:17:50 +0530
Subject: Re: [AI] final judgement of Prasanna Kumar Pincha Vs. union of India!
The same ICICI weren't prepared to give me a s/b account in Bangalore and worse, while I could operate a debit/atm card with Centurion Bank (Chennai), who gave me the facility with the full knowledge of my disability and also allowed me to issue cheques, State Bank of Mysore didn't give me cheque books or ATM/debit cards. They issued it only after my wife became a joint a/c holder.
The thing is, officers decide things over the counter without consulting the regulations or orders. In the case of a VI person, they presume too many things and don't even bother to cross check with their HQ, as in your case. So, decisions on issuing cheque book or ATM cards are made arbitrarily.
Another example of such decisions is while a previous officer in SBM allowed me to sign on withdrawal slips (with the signature of the person accompanying me to collect the money) another person who took over changed the procedure and asked me also to affix my thumb impression, and didn't listen to our explanations as to how it's difficult to verify a person's thumb impression.
So, I feel, banks, especially the national banks, though the safest option for us to deposit our money, are not disabled friendly.
