Seeking help for basic financial rights

An old Eyeway client, Birju (name changed) visited the Eyeway Helpdesk office in New Delhi on September 7, 2017. He is a resident of Kaushambi, UP and is 100% blind. Birju has three daughters and a son, and his wife is mentally retarded. He is the sole breadwinner in the family. Birju came to Eyeway seeking help in opening a Kisan Credit Card account with his local bank. The Branch Manager at Bank of Baroda in Nara, Kaushambi refused to open an account for Birju unless it was a joint account. The manager believed that visually impaired Birju was incapable of operating a bank account on his own. Our counselor spoke to the Bank Manager informing him of the provisions in place for blind people and the fact that they are perfectly capable of accessing financial facilities independently. We also shared the relevant guidelines issued by RBI and IBA, following which Birju’s issue was resolved.