DBS to be available for senior citizens and
differently abled
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has once again advised the banks in the country to ‘make concerted efforts’ to offer certain basic banking services to senior citizens of more than 70 years of age and differently abled persons at the doorstep of such customers – doorstep banking services (DBS).
An RBI circular to this end has clearly said the banks must ensure strict compliance with the instructions and implement the DBS by April 30, 2020.
Though RBI had made the instructions to this end more than two years ago through a notification on December 31, 2017, and much earlier to that, in 2007 also, it has been observed that the banks have been dragging their feet on it, and the services are yet to be offered, or at the best, were confined to selected branches of the banks.
In order to make the doorstep banking services (DBS) for senior citizens and differently abled persons effective, banks have been advised to incorporate certain aspects in their policies approved by board for such services:
Banks are now asked to offer the doorstep-banking-services on pan India basis. They have been asked to develop a board approved framework for determining the nature of branches/centres where these services will be provided mandatorily and those branches where it can be provided on a best effort basis, and make the policy public.
The banks have been instructed to display/update the list of branches offering such doorstep banking services on the bank’s website regularly. They are also expected to give adequate publicity to the availability of these services in their public awareness campaigns.
“The charges, in this regard, shall also be prominently indicated in brochures and published in their websites,” the RBI notification added.
RBI also said the banks should report the progress made in this regard to the Customer Service Committee of the bank’s board every quarter.
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