Odisha skeleton episode: Patnaik seeks 'humane banking administration', draws Sitharaman's attention

Bhubaneswar: BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Saturday sought Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's "compassionate intervention" over an incident in Odisha, where a tribal man exhumed his sister's skeleton and produced it as proof to withdraw money from a rural bank.

Patnaik, in a letter, also urged the Union finance minister to ensure that clear accountability be immediately fixed for this recent incident, which took place in Keonjhar district.

"I urge you to ensure that clear accountability be immediately fixed for this shocking lapse. This will send a clear signal to all rural banks to guarantee citizen-centric service delivery with empathy and compassion," he said.

Patnaik also expressed confidence that with Sitharaman's "compassionate intervention", this kind of inhuman treatment of citizens will not be repeated anywhere else in the country.

Noting that he wrote with a sense of deep anguish and urgency to highlight the incident that took place on April 27 in the Malliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank, Patnaik said Jeetu Munda was forced to exhume the body of his sister and carry it to the bank as proof of her death in order to withdraw his rightful dues.

The tribal man had exhumed the skeletal remains of his sister Kalra Munda (56), who died in January. He then walked around 3 km to the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank and produced it before the official as proof of her death. A video of Munda carrying the skeleton has gone viral on social media.

Referring to the findings of the state government's inquiry into the matter, Patnaik pointed out that the tribal man was forced to carry the skeleton of his sister following numerous unsuccessful visits to the bank, where he failed to get assistance or clarity from the officials to resolve his issue.

"What is more shocking is the bank's attempt to justify this inhuman conduct by citing adherence to RBI guidelines. This shows a disturbing intent on the part of the bank officials to hide behind procedures and abandon the very people they are meant to serve," Patnaik said.

The five-time former chief minister of Odisha mentioned in the letter: "In a democracy, rules are meant to empower citizens, not humiliate them. This horrifying incident has outraged public sentiment across Odisha and has also drawn attention in international media." The BJD president also said the incident, though isolated, gives all an insight to put in place a more humane banking administration, especially in remote tribal areas.

Meanwhile, Patnaik also appreciated Physics Wallah founder and CEO Alakh Pandey, who donated Rs 10 lakh to Jeetu Munda.

"I am deeply moved by your humanitarian gesture of donating Rs 10 lakh to Jeetu Munda, who endured the tragic ordeal of exhuming his sister's remains to present as proof of death before a bank," Patnaik wrote to Pandey.

"This heartbreaking incident has shaken the conscience of us all. Your noble act of compassion stands as a beacon of humanity, and I sincerely appreciate your generosity and empathy," the BJD president said.

Pandey, in his reply, wrote: "Thank you for your kind words and blessings. Truly humbled by your appreciation. In difficult times, standing with humanity is the least we can do."