Residents of neighbourhoods in areas such as north Chennai have been running from pillar to post, trying to open bank accounts to receive the LPG subsidy.
Consumers of MKB Nagar in Vyasarpadi said branches of nationalised banks in their area were asking them to compulsorily join in group insurance schemes if they wanted to open accounts.
Devi Ganesan and Sivarajanani Karthik of Vyasarpadi said the bank manager asked them to opt for the policy.
“The bank officials asked me if I could not even shell out Rs. 100 or 200 a year to take the policy. My husband is an autorickshaw driver and our existence is most often hand-to-mouth. We cannot afford more expenditure. I have been going to the bank for the past month but still haven’t opened an account,” said Devi.
Her gas agency has asked her to open an account and bring the bank passbook.
Similarly, many home-makers are worried about not being able to afford LPG cylinders at market rate.
“They tell us that we will get an initial amount in our bank accounts. But, my husband, an alcoholic, will withdraw every rupee. I may not be able to buy the cylinder if I will get the money only after paying. The booking will only get cancelled. Last year, I have not even been able to pay the Rs. 400 for the subsidised cylinder,” said J. Meenakshi, a resident of Adyar.
Thangaraj of Slum Children STEDS, an NGO that works among residents of Vyasarpadi, said that this was the situation in many households.
“Many men here drink regularly and do not save much. The government should find some other way to pass on the subsidy. Also, banks cannot force people to opt for insurance. Some branches have told them that they do not have application forms for opening new accounts. People are being put to a lot of misery,” he said.
An official of the State Bank of India clarified that although they were providing insurance schemes for their customers, opting for them was not compulsory.
“We have received complaints regarding this issue in the MKB Nagar branch and we are investigating the matter,” he said.
Published - December 28, 2014 12:46 am IST
