Giving vent to their ire, the public, apart from locking up the UBI bank, demanded installation of VSAT to prevent internet irregularity which has come to define the bank at Ukhrul .
Interacting with some of the incensed customers of the bank today, all of them said that the bank at most times has one excuse or the other such as “”cash shortage, machine break down, staff shortage” causing untold misery to many, especially to those who come from far off places to UBI, Ukhrul .
According to them all pensioners, Government employees and others draw salary from this bank, but face different problems frequently .
Civil society leaders led by TNL vice president Peimi along with zonal chairmen who rushed to the bank on receiving information of the uproar said that the bank authority has turned a deaf ear to their repeated pleas to instal a VSAT to tackle the frequent break down of the internet and added this can no longer be tolerated .
After hearing the grievances of the customers, the civil society leaders agreed to shut down UBI from 11.55 am indefinitely until a separate VSAT for UBI bank is installed to run the bank without any disturbance .
The TNL vice president also added that he will convene an emergency meeting today to discuss the matter .
He said in case the bank authority fails to address or respond to the plight of the customers in time, CSOs will even initiate steps to the extent of permanently closing down UBI bank at Ukhrul district .
A distressed customer, K Zimik, who is a former president of ex-pensioners’ association of Ukhrul said that banking service at Ukhrul is horrible and the staff are not at all friendly with the bank customers.
Drawing one’s pension takes at least 3-4 days and this happens every month, he added .
After cash shortage of one month, remittance arrived on November 1 but then again from yesterday there has been no network bringing all transactions to a grinding halt, said K Zimik adding that he is yet to withdraw his pension of September and October .
Another bank customer from SBI Somsai branch, echoed similar thoughts and added that there is always cash shortage at the bank.
UBI, Ukhrul Manager said that considering the plight of the customers, she had asked them to go to UBI mini secretariat branch for cash withdrawal as immediate arrangement.
In her reply to the CSO leaders, she said the problem of internet service has been reported to the higher authority at Imphal for necessary action and arrangement.
Source: The Sangai Express
