Bhubaneswar, April 28: A shocking incident has emerged from Keonjhar, Odisha, where a man attempted to withdraw money from his deceased sister’s bank account by bringing her skeleton to the bank. Following this event, BJD MP and parliamentary party leader Manas Ranjan Mangaraj has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to implement immediate reforms in the rural banking system.
In his letter, Mangaraj described the incident as deeply painful and concerning. He explained that a poor tribal man, Jitu Munda, was asked for a death certificate to access the ₹19,300 in his late sister’s account, which he did not possess. Consequently, he resorted to bringing his sister’s skeleton to the bank to prove her death.
“This heart-wrenching incident is not just a personal tragedy but also highlights the insensitivity of the banking system towards the poor and marginalized,” he wrote.
Mangaraj pointed out that while the central government has launched various banking reform initiatives such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, Direct Benefit Transfer, and digital banking, this incident starkly illustrates the significant gap between policy and ground realities.
He emphasized that for an uneducated tribal villager lacking legal knowledge and resources, the demand for complex documentation becomes a major hurdle.
Instead of receiving assistance, he faced helplessness and humiliation, leading him to take such a drastic step that has shocked the entire nation.
The BJD leader characterized this issue as not merely a banking problem but a humanitarian one, stressing the urgent need for reforms in the rural banking system, particularly for tribal communities, widows, the elderly, and those living in remote areas.
He appealed to the Union Finance Minister for immediate intervention, advocating for simpler processes for small deposits, sensitive field verification, and accountability among bank officials.
“No citizen should have to endure such pain and desperation just to access their family’s hard-earned money,” he concluded.
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