Editor,
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), through its directive dated 13th September 2023 (RBI/2023-24/60 DoR.MCS.REC.38/01.01.001/2023-24), has unequivocally mandated that all banks must return a borrower’s original property documents within thirty days of full and final loan repayment. The same circular also stipulates that any delay beyond this period entitles the borrower to appropriate compensation. The intent behind this directive is clear — to safeguard borrowers from institutional indifference and to uphold transparency and accountability within the banking sector.
Yet, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Many borrowers, especially from smaller towns and remote regions, continue to be entangled in procedural delays, confusion, and avoidable inconvenience even after repaying their loans in full. I wish to recount my personal experience — not in grievance, but to highlight a systemic issue that demands urgent introspection.
After closing my home loan under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme through the State Bank of India (SBI), Tura branch, nearly four months ago, I anticipated a smooth handover of my original property documents. Instead, despite multiple visits to my home branch, the documents have not been released. Subsequently, I received a letter from SBI’s RASMECCC, Shillong, directing me to collect my title deeds from their office within fifteen days, warning that a penalty of Rs 1,000 plus GST per quarter would be levied for any delay.
This directive is both unreasonable and distressing. My loan was sanctioned, serviced, and repaid entirely through the Tura branch. It defies logic and fairness to compel a borrower from the Garo Hills to travel more than 300 kilometers to Shillong — at personal cost and inconvenience — simply to retrieve documents that should have been automatically dispatched within the RBI’s prescribed timeline.
The very essence of the RBI’s directive lies in protecting borrowers from such institutional delays. When banks fail to release property documents promptly or shift responsibility between offices, they not only violate regulatory norms but also erode the public’s faith in the efficiency and empathy of the banking system.
Borrowers who have demonstrated financial integrity and discipline by repaying every rupee of their loan deserve courtesy, not indifference; efficiency, not red tape. Therefore, one must ask — why should a borrower suffer for a delay that clearly originates within the bank’s own system? If the RBI mandates compensation for such lapses, it is only fair that banks uphold this accountability in both letter and spirit.
The State Bank of India, as the nation’s largest public sector bank, must set a precedent by streamlining its post-loan procedures. Once a loan is closed, the borrower’s documents should be seamlessly returned through the home branch within the stipulated thirty days — without imposing travel, expense, or mental stress upon the customer.
Financial inclusion is not merely about granting loans; it is about ensuring dignity and transparency at every stage of the banking experience — from the first signature to the final settlement. Rural and hill-region borrowers, who often face logistical and economic constraints, deserve to be treated with empathy and fairness, not as afterthoughts of an impersonal system.
Furthermore, I appeal to the concerned bank authorities to issue a clear statement regarding the subsidy component under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme linked to my loan, as this remains unexplained even after full repayment. Transparency in this regard is vital to maintaining public trust in both government-supported schemes and the institutions implementing them.
In an era where digital banking and customer-centric policies are widely celebrated, such procedural lapses reveal a widening gap between principle and practice. It is time for major banks to bridge that gap — not through rhetoric, but through responsible action.
Borrowers have fulfilled their obligations with honesty and patience. It is now for the banks to reciprocate — with integrity, efficiency, and respect.
Yours etc.,
Jairaj,
Tura
The legacy of Wangala and Shad Nongkrem
Editor,
History has always been fascinating because it shines the light on the roots of our origins. Meghalaya’s cultural heartbeat echoes through two grand harvest festivals, Wangala of the Garos and Shad Nongkrem of the Khasis. Both celebrate gratitude, harmony, and the sacred bond between humans and nature. The Wangala Festival, often called the 100 Drums Festival, honours Misi Saljong, the Sun God of fertility, marking the end of the arduous harvest season with rhythmic drumming, dance, and offerings. Meanwhile, Shad Nongkrem unfolds in Smit, the cultural heart of the Khasi Hills, where rituals and dances give thanks to Ka Blei Synshar and the ancestors for prosperity and a bountiful harvest.
In stark contrast, the Umngot River, once known as Asia’s cleanest, now faces an ecological crisis, a mirror to us humans, reflecting how far we have drifted from balance and ustainable long term development. These festivals were never mere traditions; they were reminders to live in gratitude and alignment with Ka Mei Ramew (mother earth). Teaching the younger generation about these festivals is not just preserving culture, but reviving the wisdom our ancestors lived by, that harmony with nature is the truest form of progress. Remembering the legend of U Lum Sohpet Bneng, lest we forget- ‘Ka Tip Briew Tip Blei’ (know man, know God), ‘Ka Tip Kur Tip Kha’ (know kith and kin), and ‘Kamai ia ka Hok’ (earn with honesty).
Your’s etc.,
Shivani Pde,
Via email
Unified regional platform deserves a fair chance
Editor,
The editorial “Between Idealism & Scepticism” (ST 6th November 2025) made interesting reading and this development is more than electoral. It is a narrative infrastructure experiment. If successful it could reframe federalism through indigenous epistemologies, not just administrative decentralization. Most regional parties remain state-centric. Migration and demographic shifts have made “indigeneity” a contested concept, complicating efforts to build a unified regional platform. With BJP dominant in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura and BJP led in Assam and the Congress declining, the proposed new party could emerge as a third pole targeting the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the region. However, past attempts at pan-Northeast unity have faltered due to linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity. The surface paradoxes are whether a party can unify sub-nationalist and pan-regional visions without eroding either? The purpose “To unify regional voices, protect indigenous rights and negotiate with the Centre from a position of collective strength” is practical. It may not be fair to write-off this development at this stage but observe how things unfold as politics is not static but dynamic. It is a living system, not a fixed structure. It breathes, shifts and evolves with every narrative, protest, policy and paradox.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
