GORAKH NANDAN VISHWAKARMA Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present writ petition has been filed for commanding the Reserve Bank of India to direct for opening Branch of Punjab National Bank in village- Simri, District Patna, which though was opened earlier but has been shifted after ten years to another place.

(2.) The Ld. Counsel for the petitioner has Patna High Court CWJC No.1758 of 2020 dt.14/7/2022 2/4 referred to a letter dtd. 5/8/1981 to submit that the Reserve Bank of India had authorized the Punjab National Bank to open an office at Simri, District Patna in the State of Bihar and pursuant thereto the Branch of Punjab National Bank was opened in the village Simri in the year 1981, however, suddenly in the year 1991, the same has been shifted to Bihta Air Strip. It is further submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the Reserve Bank of India as also the Punjab National Bank be directed to consider the prayer of the petitioner to reopen a Branch office at Simri village.

(3.) Per contra, the learned counsel for the Respondent Bank has referred to the letter of the Punjab National Bank dtd. 6/5/2019, annexed as Annexure-13 to the present writ petition, to submit that the Branch office of the Punjab National Bank situated at village Simri, Patna has been transferred to Bihta (Patna) as per permission/ order received from the Reserve Bank of India vide letter dtd. 3/1/1994/ 8/4/1995 and if at all the account holders of the said Branch, who are residents of the said village Simri, are facing any problem, for their convenience, business correspondents of Punjab National Bank have been Patna High Court CWJC No.1758 of 2020 dt.14/7/2022 3/4 deputed at/ near the village Simri to facilitate Banking service to the common man of the area. It is further submitted that the Branch office of Punjab National Bank at Bihta is hardly 15 minutes drive from village Simri, hence, a frivolous case has been set up by the petitioner with oblique motives.