KOCHI: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ernakulam, on Wednesday held that banks in Keralam should ensure that claim forms, checklists and material instructions are made available conveniently in Malayalam wherever applicable and that procedural requirements are clearly explained in a language understood by the claimant.
The banks shall also provide customers with an option — subject to applicable regulatory and security requirements — to receive mobile/SMS alerts including debit and withdrawal alerts and other electronic communication in the regional language concerned, with a suitable facility to enable or disable the regional-language option.
The bench — headed by D B Binu, president — issued the directive while disposing of a complaint filed by 83-year-old Govindan of Rayamangalam. His wife died in 2022, leaving Rs 62,541 in an account with the Bank of India, Kuruppampady branch. The named nominee, their son Visaradan, had also died.
The complainant approached the branch, seeking release of the amount and produced the relationship certificate and the death certificates of the account holder and nominee. The bank insisted on a legal-heir certificate, which he obtained in 2023. Even thereafter, payment was deferred pending legal opinion.