TURA: Several organizations from Gasuapara region in South Garo Hills have sought the installation of an ATM at the SBI Branch located in the area as well as the appointment of a full-time Branch Manager at the bank.
In a joint representation submitted to the Regional Chief Manager of SBI in Tura on Friday, the organizations which included the Gasuapara Area Citizens’ Forum, ADE, GSU Ruga and Gasuapara, Mothers’ Union from Gasuapara and Dimapara, Gasuapara Development Committee (GDC), Local Coal Exporters’ Association and the Gasuapara Senior Citizens, informed that residents from the area were facing problems due to the twin issues.
“The absence of a Branch manager is creating a lot of problems to customers at the bank. The problem is mostly being felt by the rural folk who want to open new accounts at the bank,” the organizations said.
With regard to the absence of ATM facilities at the bank, the organizations said that the need to depend on the old conventional system of withdrawal, deposit and fund transfer was posing a great deal of problems to the customers.
“We are wasting valuable time every time we go to the bank as we have to stand in a queue for a long time. We can cope with the problem on normal days but to deal with it during times of emergency is near impossible,” the organizations said.
Besides the two issues, the organizations also alleged that a particular employee of the bank has been absent from duty every week on Thursday and urged authorities to intervene.
According to the organizations, they were assured by the official in Tura during their meeting that all the issues raised would be immediately looked into.