New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Thursday demanded the government rationalise charges levied by banks against basic services they offer and make them customer-friendly.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Chidambaram said the banking sector is charging for many services, much like low-cost airlines where one has to pay even for a water bottle.

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"If you have to withdraw money from an ATM, you have to pay, customers have to pay for cheque book issuance...the most cruel thing is that if your deposit drops below a minimum balance, banks put a penalty on customers," he said.

Days are not far away when banks would start charging for visiting your branch and talking to any official there, he wondered.

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He urged the government and the Reserve Bank to rationalise the charges and make them customer-friendly.

Pratima Mondal (TMC) raised the issue of exploitation of bank employees and demanded the government approve a proposal for five-day banking a week.

Making a case, Mondal said, the RBI works for five days a week, and insurance companies also have a similar working structure.

Therefore, she said, it is only fair that the government should accept the demand of bank employees for five days a week immediately.

Hanuman Beniwal (RLP) raised the issue of corruption in granting of loans under the Kisan Credit Card scheme.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)