Shocking to read such a news Prerna Sobti
> On Nov 22, 2023, at 10:49 AM, avinash shahi <shahi88avin...@gmail.com> wrote: > > You're reading this article from > > Wednesday, 22nd November 2023 > Page No. 8 > Chennai Print Edition > SUPPLEMENT > Main Edition > Citing a colonial era legislation, the Department of Posts is > continuing the insensitive practice of classifying as “Lunatic > Account”, savings or other deposit accounts opened in the names of > persons living with autism and intellectual disabilities. > > > A senior citizen had approached the GKM Postal Colony Post Office in > Chennai some months ago to open a savings account and term deposit > account in the name of his autistic son, who is a telecom family > pensioner. > > In view of his son’s intellectual disability, he had requested to open > a Guardian Operated Account, furnishing his son’s National Disability > Identity Card and the Guardianship Certificate given under National > Trust Act. > > However, a postal official expressed inability to open such an account > stating the system would not accept the data pertaining to the > ‘Guardian’ as the son was an adult. > > His appeals to higher officials did not yield any response. > Eventually, he was shocked that a postal savings account was opened in > his son’s name, bearing the description “Lunatic Account”. The > Department was oblivious that the term was not just insensitive, but > also no longer used in civilised and legal vocabulary. > > Responding to his formal appeal to replace “lunatic” with the > sensitive nomenclature of “Guardian Operated Account (Special Needs)”, > a senior official in the Office of the Chief Postmaster General, > Chennai, had on August 31, forwarded it to the Assistant Director, > Department of Posts, Delhi, for consideration since it involved > “policy decision.” > > > The official, in the letter, noted: “As per Section 12 of Government > Savings Bank Act, 1873, persons with unsound mind or incapable of > managing his affairs are defined as lunatics and as such, the same > terminology is used in Post Office Saving Bank operations.” > > He then sent a representation to the Union Minister for > Telecommunications urging him to issue orders to pull the Department > of Posts out of barbarian times and bring them to contemporaneity, and > replace old world phrases. > > He is yet to hear from the Minister. > > In the meanwhile, outraged by this, an advocate and former government > college principal M. Ravichandran on Friday lodged a complaint with > the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, New Delhi. “It > is unfortunate that officers in the highest echelons are incapable of > managing legitimate grievances and cling on to an archaic law of 1873, > unwilling to embark on course correction. I am afraid that this must > be the case across India for all persons wishing to operate accounts > of persons with intellectual disabilities,” he pointed out in his > complaint. > > He urged the Commissioner to ensure the dignity of persons with > intellectual disabilities by making the Postal Department mend their > ways and rules. > https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2023-11-22/th_chennai/articleG61C1UETL-4948278.ece > > -- > सादर/ Regards > > अविनाश शाही/ Avinash Shahi > सहायक/ Assistant > मानव संसाधन प्रबंध विभाग/ Human Resource Management Department > भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक/ Reserve Bank of India > लखनऊ क्षेत्रीय कार्यालय/Lucknow RO > विस्तार/ Extension: 2232 > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to accessindia+unsubscr...@accessindia.org.in. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADeSQ2hZtN8k4Fjh0dy2-HrGso80F9%2Brkr3XE2bkVwmXFq_Lzw%40mail.gmail.com. -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to accessindia+unsubscr...@accessindia.org.in. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/66452992-7026-4C9B-BAEF-5FD51796A8E1%40gmail.com.
