In a recent interactive session organized by the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Subodh Kumar Gupta, Chief General Manager and Ombudsman at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), shed light on the essential aspects of the Alternative Grievance Redressal (AGR) mechanism and the Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RBIOS). The event featured detailed presentations by Bhupendra Tripathi, Assistant General Manager of the RBI Ombudsman Office in Ahmedabad, and Ranjit Ranjan Das, Zonal Head of Bank of Baroda-Surat, highlighting the RBIOS scheme to various bank officials and industrialists.
Chamber of Commerce President Ramesh Vaghasia welcomed the attendees and highlighted that in the fiscal year 2021-2022, a total of 4,18,184 complaints were received nationwide under the RBIOS scheme, marking a 9.39 percent increase from the previous year, with 16.46 percent of complaints originating from Gujarat alone. He also mentioned the presence of 22 regional ombudsman offices across India, including one in Ahmedabad.
During the session, RBI Chief General Manager and Ombudsman Subodh Kumar Gupta addressed the officials and business leaders, emphasizing that the primary complaints received by the RBI Ombudsman office are from customers who have not received money from their banks even after repaying loans, or have faced challenges in obtaining collateral relief. Gupta announced a new rule requiring banks to release collateral within 30 days of loan repayment, failing which a fine of Rs 5,000 per day will be imposed on the bank, recoverable from the responsible officer. He further stated that delays in updating credit limits will also be penalized, with the bank required to pay Rs 100 per day to the complainant, effective from April 1, 2024.
Bhupendra Tripathi, Assistant General Manager of the RBI Ombudsman Office in Ahmedabad, advised customers to first lodge complaints with the respective banks, escalating to top management if necessary, before approaching the RBI. He highlighted that most issues are resolved at the regional or zonal levels of the banks. Tripathi also mentioned the option for customers to lodge complaints online through the RBI Ombudsman portal or directly to the RBI Ombudsman, with representatives permitted to file complaints on behalf of customers.
Ranjit Ranjan Das, Zonal Head of Bank of Baroda - Surat, gave a presentation on methods of Custom Service Audit, Executive Response Desk, Customer Grievance Access Channel, and Customer Grievance Registration. He emphasized that customers can directly email the top management of the bank to resolve any issues they may encounter.
