Upper Kliew villagers face harassment in opening bank accounts

SHILLONG: Several families from the poor strata of society at Upper Kliew are facing harassment after a bank asked them to produce the certificate from Sordar for opening bank accounts.
Many families from Upper Klew village were asked by an employee of the Meghalaya Rural Bank at Nongthymmai, Ri Bhoi District, to bring a certificate from the Sordar Raid Madan Kyrdem before any pass book could be issued to them for opening of new account for getting benefits of the Public Distribution scheme as per new guidelines.
It was on December 22 that some families from Upper Klew went to Meghalaya Rural Bank at Nongthymmai , Ri Bhoi to open a bank account, with regards to the PDS, as instructed by Ri Bhoi Supply Department.
According to Shidalang Nongrum when she approached the Meghalaya Rural Bank on  January 4, the staff told her that her passbook was not yet ready as she did not bring the certificate from Sordar.
Hence , she and another  lady asked the bank to return  their passport size photographs and the money. Later, they opened their accounts with the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank at Bhoirymbong.
Some of the applicants who had filled up the form at the Meghalaya Rural Bank were denied passbook even when they had submitted their EPICs and electricity bills.
Since most of the affected were women, they approached CSWO President Agnes Kharshiing   who then contacted Bank Officials of the Apex Bank at Bhoirymbong and account opening forms were filled on January 4 with the help of CSWO.
Three of the villagers who had filled up the forms in the Apex Bank went to the Meghalaya Rural Bank on the same day with the intention of getting back their money and documents, but they were surprised  to know that they were issued the passbooks  on January 4  after they had approached the Apex Bank at Bhoirymbong.
Being aggrieved with the delay, the two women have written to the Meghalaya Rural Bank asking the Branch Manager to close their account as they had already approached another bank.
According to the mother of one of the applicants Daribha, the Meghalaya Rural Bank staff did not accept the letter for closing the account.
The CSWO alleged that this is a clear case of harassment by the staff of the Meghalaya Rural Bank, as the illiterate villagers were being intentionally asked to bring certificates from the Sordar.
The CSWO, while condemning this, urged the authorities not to make things complicated for the illiterate persons who are at times left at the mercies of a few abusive traditional heads for certificates, especially when certain traditional heads already have grudges against them, for demanding their rights.