The crisis at Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank has left thousands of customers in the lurch demanding their deposited money back. And finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s twitterati act to help anguished depositors by providing them grievance redressal number only enraged a customer to tweet back with a threat to commit suicide.
Sitharaman had written:
On the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank matter, a press release through the @PIB_India. Depositors can access the websitepmcbank.com for any grievance redressal and call on toll free number 800223993 for enquiries.
To which the depositor replied with: "We expect a quick resolution ... and help otherwise people are bound to consume poison and die"
In an appeal to the distressed depositor, the finance minister responded by asking him to "not mention/speak/write of such extreme things".
She further clarified that since these cooperative banks do not fall under the regulation of the finance ministry, the RBI is an appropriate regulator to solve the crisis.
Sitharaman was also quick to alert the other official channels for cognizance and tweeted her response to the RBI, the finance ministry and FM's office.