M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, June 27: Customers of the PNB branch in Daltonganj today had a tough time following the ‘server down’ status leading to sluggish financial transactions.
The situation threw the banking works out of gear. However, PNB officials tried hard to assuage the ruffled feelings of the customers who remain unaware of the technical snags and hold accusing fingers at the bank staff.
The pensioners, who come to draw their pension and when told that withdrawal of cash will not be possible on account of technical glitch, seemed stressed.
The server was restored for a little while but again got down leading to a crash of day-to-day financial business.
A senior official of the PNB here said, “We allow deposit of cash at the counter by the customers even when the issue of server crops down.”
“We understand the customers have come with cash stashed in their pockets and asking them to go back without depositing the same will be quite an irritating thing for the customers and so we accept the cash at the counter, issue counter foil of the receipt with due bank stamp and once the server gets operational we get on to our job,” he added. However, withdrawal of cash stands still due to the server issue.
According to sources, the service index of the PNB branch in Daltonganj is high. Operating a locker here is not a problem as officials immediately pay attention to ladies who come to operate their lockers along with male family members.
However, sources said the locker room in the PNB branch in Daltonganj needs to be well lit as a low-watt bulb here keeps the atmosphere of the locker room gloomy.
Apart from this, the bank needs exhaust fans as it gets stuffy once there is a gathering of 50 to 60 customers.
Administrative sources in the Palamu collectorate said the PNB branch here is perhaps the bank which has the least of the government fund deposited here.
Administrative sources said a lion’s share of the government fund lies deposited with banks like ICICI, and HDFC while some such banks like the PNB are made to run dry. Since SBI is the lead bank here in Palamu it manages a huge deposit of government money with it.
Lagatar24.com correspondent then spoke to Palamu DC Shashi Ranjan to know as to how one of the oldest banks like the PNB etc here in Daltonganj is made to run dry of the government fund while others not much frequented by the poor customers are stashed with the government fund.
On this, the DC said, “These days, we have not much say in where or in which bank the government money will be kept. It is all decided in Ranchi.”
“We are just to follow what is asked by Ranchi to do. He conceded now government fund is deposited with ICICI, HDFC bypassing popular nationalised banks,” he added.
However, DC Shashi Ranjan promised if and when the government fund comes to us now, we will ensure it is deposited with the PNB here as there is no problem with it.
