State Bank of India (SBI), Barpali Branch : A Pandora's box to unveil

While looking at the above image you may be mislead thinking it to be a fish market of Howrah or the long queue in a ticket counter of CST of Mumbai. But it is neither of the two. It is the view of SBI branch of Barpali. 

Though the working hours starts at 10.00AM, but you won’t find its staff on their respective seats till 11.00AM. Its employees are absolutely lethargic and highly indiscipline. The situation inside this branch is alarming like any other branches of this public sector monolith. There is absolute chaos. In an average every other day one account holder fights verbally with the bank staff for the poor or lack of service in the branch. In the past one of its Branch Manager Late M.R.Hanuman was a victim of hypertension and high blood-pressure caused while working in this ill fated branch of Barpali. He expired during February 2007 within six months from the date of occupying the position of the Branch Manager.

Though the branch has got three ATM machines, but most of the days they remain un-operational either because they are not stuffed with cash or because of internet link failure. Henceforth every account holder is forced to withdraw money from the cash counter during the working hours. On any given moment of a working day there would be around 30+ account holders standing in a queue either to deposit or to withdraw the money. It consumes an enormous one to two precious hours to withdraw money. It’s highly irritating especially when you languish for hours together to withdraw your very own money. Think how bizarre it would be for any service holder or a businessman to part this much of precious time during the business hours of the day.

It is highly disgusting when you step into its filthy ATM chamber  adjoining the branch. As could be seen in the photo the residents of Barpali are so vulgar that they spit the pan and guthka inside the ATM chamber, while waiting for their turn to withdraw money. 

Since the beginning of the summer the main glass door of the ATM chamber is all the time kept open, because the pull-back system does not work.  What is the point when you operate two AC machines inside it, while the door is open. The precious electricity of the nation is being wasted for no reason. It is such a small fault they should have replaced the equipment, if not getting a mechanic at Barpali to repair it.

A majority of the readers might be looking at the scenario from the investor perspective. But one need to look at the other side of the desk as well. Mr.Sanat Sahu the ABM of the Barpali SBI branch defends the position of the branch by saying, there are only seven officials of the bank to serve as many as 20,000+ saving accounts. Apart from this there are 5,000+ term deposits and current accounts that are in operations. When so ever any Government schemes or programs are introduced there would be a plethora of new application forms to open the bank accounts by the public to avail the benefits. This causes an uninvited extra burden.

The major cause of stepping of unaccountable customers to the branch is the non-use of alternative payment gateways, be it the use of mobile banking, internet banking or swapping of the cards. The reason for it is that, most of our account holders are either illiterate or not tech savvy. The mass does not use either net banking or phone banking.  

Nevertheless when you visit any private bank be it either the Axis, ICICI, HDFC or the IDBI Bank at Bargarh you would be greeted with a smile at the reception by a lady executive and most likely to be offered a cup of tea or a drink if you posses a priority account. And this writer is enjoying such status quo unasked for the past ten years, because he got a salary account of LIC of India with Axis Bank.

IFSC Code : SBIN0002012 

Branch Code : 002012

MICR Code : 768002044 

NB : The views expressed over here are personal and not targeted upon any particular employee or the Branch Manager of the SBI, Barpali.

kiranbima@gmail.com

Cell# +918249314972

E.Kiran Mohan

C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (MD)

Tehsil Chowk,

At/PO. BARPALI – 768 029

Dist. Bargarh, Orissa, India