Monday, November 09, 2015

Give us an ATM: A young IAS officer in Mizoram writes to SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya; also bank's reply here

Kannan G, a 2012 batch AGMUT cadre IAS, is now posted in a place named Hnahthial located in Lunglei district of North-Eastern state of Mizoram. Located 172 km south of the state capital Aizwal, Hnahthial faces many a problem, but one of those sounds bizarre. This sub-divisional headquarters needs an ATM machine, as the nearest ATM machine is located two and half hours away. So, this IAS officer wrote a letter to SBI chairman...
Arundhati Bhattacharya (NB: Ms Bhattacharya likes to call herself chairman, not chairperson), and this is what State Bank of India replied to Kannan:
"We acknowledge receipt of your letter no A 12011/3/2011 SDO (H) dated the 2nd December 2014 addressed to our Chairman and thank you for the same. We are actively pursuing the installation of ATM at Hnahthial. Our Branch there has already identified a place for locating the ATM as there is no adequate space readily available in the Branch premises itself. The delay in commissioning the ATM has been due to non-availability of ATM machine and V.Sat. We are following up the same. We very much share your concern to install an ATM thereat to serve the local population 24X7...”
First, it’s a good initiative by this 30-year-old engineer-turned IAS officer to write directly to the SBI chairman. Had he used the formal channels – CM’s office, then department of financial services, GoI etc.—the request would have been stuck in bureaucratic maze.
The officer did understand the urgency. “Was shocked to find that the entire subdivision did not have Broadband Internet or ATM. Nearest available was 60km/2.5 hrs away”, he wrote in a social media site.
Secondly, officers particularly those belonging to AGMUT, Manipur-Tripura and Nagaland cadre, must take special initiatives to bring in changes in some of the far-flung areas of North-East India.
Hnahthial is quite close to Myanmar border, and one can reach there by buses and jeeps. The most prominent person from Hnahthial is undoubtedly the Indian footballer Jeje Lalpekhlua who plays for Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League.

4 comments:

  1. Well done! I personally congratulate the young IAS officer who has taken the initiative for installing the ATM in Hnahthial. His endeavour will not go futile. SBI will take it seriously to install the ATM. Without Kannan G initiative we are not be able to understand about the dearth technology facing by the SBI in Hnahthial.

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  2. I know him personally, his quite good to pursue such thing,...i really appreciate...well.done.kannan...continue your good effort to hnahthial people.

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  3. I really appreciate his undertakings in all ways for his efficiency and nimbleness. I admire his intellect. I feel lucky for being a hnahthial fellow to have had this kind of a praise-worthy IAS officer.

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