Since the transfer of SBI, Aghunato Branch to Zunheboto on April 27, 2000, the suffering of the people of Aghunato area is beyond imagination. The people of this area have to travel to Zunheboto every month where sadly, only one overcrowded SBI covers the districts headquarter. There is inconvenience in lodging as everyone does not have a relative there. Because of this, half of their salary is spent for lodging apart from the travelling expenses, thereby causing great financial difficulty in the family’s month long budget. The plight of the pensioners under sub-treasury, Aghunato as they hungrily wait in queue to get their meagre salary and catch the afternoon taxi is very heart touching. Having my own mother who is past the age of standing in a queue but have to undergo every months hurdle as pensioners are supposed to come in person to draw their salary. Most of the time, these people stay with empty stomach because they know that taking a break from the queue meant missing their turn and another horrible day of wait. This, in turn takes a toll on their health as well; experiencing nausea by the overcrowded people in the bank and the motion sickness coupled with weak and tired knees.
Established in 1952, Aghunato town is one of the oldest towns in Nagaland. It was upgraded to SDO (civil) in 1978 and further inaugurated as ADC HQ in 1991. With more than 36,000 people from 52 villages, which includes 45 primary schools, 15 ME schools, 7 high schools and 1 higher secondary school and with various dapartments under the administration of ADC Aghunato comprising of EAC-Asuto, EAC-Hoshepu, BDO-Tokiye, SDEO, PWD(R&B), PWD(HOUSING), POWER,MEDICAL, PHED, CDPO, AGRICULTURE, SOIL, 8TH NAP, POLICE, FOREST, INFORMATION and PUBLICITY, INDUSTRY, BSNL, etc providing employment to nearly 5000, the everyday struggle of the people can be compared to none when people are now living in a fast paced technology world where things are bought in a click of a mouse. In the absence of banking facilities, the inconveniences in execution of administration are there almost throughout the year. Moreover, almost 16,000 students from this area, studying within and outside the state are being deprived of the core banking facilities which the rest of the country enjoys. And it has only got worse as students scholarships are now disbursed through the bank accounts.
In 2000, the Branch Manager left Aghunato Branch without informing the police, the administration or the local public leaders, citing the reason that he received a demand note from one particular underground group. But there is no written record nor there was any kind of man-handling as it was alleged. Had he informed the police, the administration, the local public leaders or the student bodies the issue would have been solved amicably. For the Branch Managers hurried leaving, the people of Aghunato had to struggle for a decade without a bank. The loses people have suffered cannot be measured. Repeated appeals to the Management of the State Bank of India to be sensitive towards the suffering of the people have not turned into fruition. However, with this little piece of how people of Aghunato endure their everyday life, we hope to usher into the New Year with the earnest request fulfilled.
Nikali Sumi
Aghunato Town
