Those Good Old Days ----
This is not my story, even if I am the one who took up the case in the interest of someone. IDBI Bank, Nagar Road, Pune (to ensure the glamour quotient they consider it as Kalyani Nagar Branch) is situated in a secluded corner. Their ATM always aroused my interest, especially with the loud announcement, as and when we navigate through the menu.
My friend, reached Pune with change of job and his employer opened salary account in IDBI. His account number was "0000034104000058034" (So many digits ensure better customer service). Well, salary was credited in time. If you have the patience to listen to the unwanted yelling of the programmed instructions over voice in the ATM, everything was going fine. But alas ----!
Provident Fund
PF label is associated with many advantages!
a) It is the fund in the name of almighty (providence).
b) It is a forced investment.
c) It ensures - you are working for a proper company (of course not forgetting the exemption route)
d) It ensure grace mark in marriage market (especially, bride’s dad from Government background will ensure, the groom is a member of PF Scheme, which is the acid test of his worth)
He decided to withdraw PF and applied for the same. The previous employer need to certify that he is unemployed for a period of 60 days since he left the service. Of course, HR guys don’t mind to certify for the sake of employees. You need to submit the bank account number to which PF authorities need to send the cheques and naturally he opted his new account at IDBI. He waited for nine months and finally started worrying about his hard earned money.
Kahani Mein Twist
Labour laws - yeah, HR person is supposed to be the custodian of the same. So, he approached me. His PF account was with Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Bandra. I was fortunate enough to have the service of a good consultant and he could get information from Bandra which was a bit amazing.
"His provident fund cheque was sent to IDBI, Kalyani Nagar before three months"
Enter the dragon
Someone approaching for help might be almighty himself trying to test you. Going by this principle, I have decided to take up his case. I accompanied him to the bank. I have personally met the Branch Manager Mr. Pratamesh. He was quite confident "Your PF cheques were not received by us so far"
I requested him to certify the same. He got another solution "Why don’t you write an application enquiring whether we have received the PF Cheques. I will sign on the same application certifying that we have not received"
We have confirmed the following
a) A Bank Manager cannot lie and being a small branch, they do have proper track of the documents
b) Provident Fund Office - being another "Sarkari" office should be the real culprits
PF Office - Bandra
We have to take some slips from the counter and reach the Officer in charge of the PF account of his previous employer. Finally, the Sarkari Babu guided us to the record section of the PF Office. It is situated in the underground floor. We feel like exploring the ancient Budhist Caves in Karla! Finally, we got a shocking information
"Bandra is hit by the torrential rain and flood. All records in the underground record room might have been swept away by water"
Good - the best choice to keep records in Bandra should be the underground floor. We have no words to thank the farsightedness of the visionary who proposed this idea.
But - to our surprise, the details of despatch of his cheques were available. Might be, certain stars were favouring his destiny.
The details being "Cheque Number 171125 dt. 3/2/2005 and Ch. No. 248422 dt. 3/2/2005 drawn from SBI Mumbai Main Branch was despatched to IDBI, Kalyani Nagar"
Back to IDBI
This time Branch Manager Mr. Pratmesh was prepared with another story "What is the proof? They might have given it to some peons who might have missed the cheques. Anyways, no one is accountable. So, you need to get proofs from PF Office"
Yeah - Might be true. In Government, nobody is accountable.
Back to PF Office Bandra / Dadar Post Office
This time, they were courteous enough to help us with all documents. They have directed us to Main Post Office in Dadar with the contact details of the person who despatched the cheque to Pune.
Post Office - being another Government Office - We were having some apprehensions. The person greeted us in a graceful manner and written some code language (The language that can be decoded by the Railway Mail Service Officer in Pune). He asked us to meet the RMS Officer in Pune Railway Station who will further direct us.
This was getting weird. We were asked to move from one location to another - but at least, there is some progress.
RMS Office, Pune
This time, for a change - it was a lady. She checked the code language containing the despatch description and scribbled something below and said "Go to Yerwada Post Office from where you will get details of the despatch to IDBI Bank"
ABRACADABRA - We were not knowing - when will we reach the final door. But still --
Yerwada Post Office -
They have shown the register where in both the cheques were delivered at IDBI Bank Kalyani Nagar. We tried our level best to get a photo copy of the document so that we can cross verify the signature at IDBI.
Well - rules in Government Office are rock solid, they have not permitted
Back to IDBI
I have lost my cool. But Mr. Pratamesh’s response was quite surprising "I cannot believe this. A document missing from my branch? You should have got the copy of the register shown by Post Office fellows so that I can cross verify the same"
I have decided to bid adieu to the gentleman tag and said "Mr. Pratamesh - hear me out for the last time. You don’t know, how to operate such a small branch also. We were made to travel the whole route from where the cheques were released - right from Bandra PF Office, to Dadar PO, to RMS Office Pune to Yerwada. We traveled all the route through which the cheque traveled. Do you think, this is fun? Right now, you have to come with me to the Post Office and cross verify, who the hell received the cheques and lost it"
Well - someone deserve slap on their face to ignite the reason. He was kind enough to send two employees of the branch who finally verified and admitted that the cheques were received by them. Who lost it? No clue!
Finally
- Mr. Pratamesh had to apologise. We have to check out for the procedure for releasing the cheque again from PF Office
Banker need to release an Affidavit cum indemnity bond accompanied with a letter stating that the cheque was lost from their end with a request to release the cheque
Finally, he had to wait for another three months to receive the cheque. After wards, he got his account canceled
-- Contd. in comments