To create greater awareness at the grassroot level, the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) will organise a “know your rights” programme in all the States.

For this, the organisation will focus on tier-II cities, metros and other backward areas, Anand Aras, CEO, BCSBI, said.

With the opening of a large number of Jan-Dhan accounts and increased use of formal and transparent modes of financial transactions, it is now imperative for the lesser-privileged sections of society to understand their rights, he added.

Aras, who was here to organise a programme in association with Kudumbashree, a State initiative aimed at poverty reduction, said that conducting an educational programme through an interactive session would prove to be more beneficial as people relate to things better when delivered in simple language with situational references than through a classroom session.

“We believe that when one educates a woman you educate the entire ecosystem. This is because women, by the sheer trust that their family and friends have in them, have an influence on the decisions and actions taken by people around them. So, educating them about their banking rights will help in spreading and increasing the awareness of right banking practices,” he added.

During earlier customer interactions, it had become evident that most of the complaints had their genesis in the lack of awareness of relevant provisions relating to banks’ commitment to customers — as amended from time to time — both, among the banking staff as well as the customers.

This is evident from the latest Banking Ombudsman report, which indicates that nearly 34 per cent of all the complaints addressed to them related to non-adherence of BCSBI codes, he said.