The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : An apology demand that spelt trouble

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

An apology demand that spelt trouble

By Our Staff Reporter

NALGONDA, SEPT. 14. A field officer of a nationalised bank landed in trouble for allegedly seeking an "apology" in writing from a farmer for approaching the Nalgonda MP, S. Sudhakar Reddy and the Collector, K. Vijayanand, for a crop loan.

MP takes up cause

The MP raised the issue at the district level review committee meeting held by the lead bank in the Collectorate on Monday. He brought to the notice of the meeting that the field officer of the State Bank of Hyderabad, Ramannapet branch, troubled a farmer for approaching him for a crop loan of Rs. 20,000.

"The farmer first came to me and later met the Collector for the loan,'' the MP said. The Collector, who is also the chairman of the committee, said the field officer's behaviour was "unwarranted".

Collector too joins

``If he did not want to sanction the loan, he should have given valid reasons. How can he ask for an apology letter? Action should be initiated against the officer after an inquiry," the Collector said. The Ramannapet MLA, V. Purushottam Reddy, said that there was no need of an inquiry in such cases.

The Lead District Manager (LDM), Krishna Babu and the SBH Assistant General Manager, G. D. Kotgire, tendered an apology to the MP and the Collector and assured that the matter would be looked into.

The PR angle

The Collector said the bank employees should develop prowess on public relations. "You must focus on human relations since customer is your god," he maintained.

Mr. Purushottam Reddy called upon banks to give loans liberally as "it is their social responsibility to come to the rescue of farmers at this crucial juncture."

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