Mumbai, June 4 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered all banks to extend full banking facilities to the visually challenged people without any discrimination. In an advisory note issued here Wednesday, the RBI said its attention has been drawn to the fact that the visually challenged people encounter problems in availing banking facilities.
The RBI said such people are entitled to all facilities, including cheque books, operation of ATMs, lockers and the like as they were legally competent to contract. It has ordered that banks must ensure that all these facilities as well as net banking, retail loans, credit cards and other services are also offered to the visually challenged people. Banks have been told to advise all their branches to render all possible assistance to them to avail banking facilities. In this regard, the RBI has referred to a 2005 order of the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities which had been forwarded by the Indian Banks' Association to all member banks in October that year. The court observed that the "visually impaired persons cannot be denied the facility of cheque book, locker and ATM on the possibility of risk in operating or using the said facility, as the element of risk is involved in case of other customers as well." To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
