Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has emphasised the need to address problems being faced by common masses and brought to their notice by MLAs within minimal time and appropriate manner.
Holding a meeting with the senior officials from Punjab's Finance, Transport, Health, and Home Departments, as well as Zonal Managers from different banks at the Punjab Legislative Assembly Secretariat, the Speaker sought amicable and prompt resolutions to these problems. He pointed out that Government and private banks were forcing borrowers for insurance at the time of loan approval/disbursement, though there was no such legal requirement.
He urged the zonal bank managers to ensure that common people and farmers were not compelled to get insurance while obtaining different loans. The Speaker also urged the Zonal Managers to clearly communicate that insurance was not mandatory for taking loans in their respective banks.
This should be done by properly displaying the information at prominent places, translating the relevant instructions for taking loans into Punjabi, and providing the translated versions to the borrowers.
Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included MLAs Mr. Amolak Singh, Mr. Manwinder Singh Giaspura, Mr. Kuljit Singh Randhawa, Mr. Balkar Sidhu, Principal Secretary Finance Mr. Ajoy Sinha, Principal Secretary Health Mr. Vivek Pratap Singh, Secretary Transport Mr. Dilraj Singh Sandhawalia, State Transport Commissioner Mr. Monish Kumar, I.G. Security Mr. Shiv Kumar Verma, Secretary Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Ram Lok Khatana, Registrar Cooperative Societies, MD. Punjab State Cooperative Bank, Zonal Manager State Bank of India, Zonal Manager Punjab National Bank, Zonal Manager HDFC and Zonal Manager ICICI, among others.