Deposits Missing From Accounts: Customers Of Odisha Gramya Bank Stage Dharna In Odisha’s Cuttack

Cuttack: The account holders of Odisha Gramya Bank, led by BJP leaders, in Odisha’s Cuttack district on Friday staged a demonstration in front of the bank in protest against alleged embezzlement of their deposits by the bank staff.

The protesting customers of the rural bank said they had deposited money in their saving and other accounts opened in the bank’s branch at Pahanga under Niali police station. But, when they wanted to withdraw the money after some time,  the bank staff told them that they did not have any balance in their accounts.

Though the depositors used to give their passbooks to update the deposit amount, the staff were not doing it, they alleged. Following repeated complaints by the account holders, the zonal authorities of the bank started an investigation on May 23.

The preliminary investigation revealed that around Rs 61 lakh has gone missing from the accounts of 150 customers in 10 days. As the depositors including women came to know about it, they staged a dharna in front of the bank’s branch demanding return of the total deposited amount.

“The bank staff have duped the depositors taking advantage of their ignorance. It is a well-planned conspiracy to embezzle people’s fund. We will continue our agitation till each customer gets his deposited amount,” said Prashant Pradhan, vice-president of Cuttack district unit of BJP.