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Video shows customers, staff using ladder to reach SBI branch in Odisha: ‘India not for starters’
The bank reportedly placed a ladder on a tractor so that employees and customers could reach the first floor.
A video that has now gone viral on social media shows several customers using a ladder placed against a tractor to climb and get into a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Odisha's Bhadrak district. An anti-encroachment drive reportedly damaged the bank’s main entrance, leaving customers to climb the ladder to reach the branch.
During the anti-encroachment drive, illegal structures were removed from Charampa market to Bhadrak’s railway station, Odisha TV reported. Many shops, houses, and other structures were demolished, and a part of the SBI branch building was among them.
The front portion and the staircase of the branch building were demolished after officials found that the structure was allegedly built on encroached land. This left the building without a proper entry. The report added that both the bank and the house owner had been informed earlier about the encroachment.
After the demolition, the bank reportedly placed a ladder on a tractor so that employees and customers could reach the first floor.
However, visuals of people struggling to enter the branch went viral on social media and sparked online discussions.
Netizens react
The video led to different conversations online, as some users raised concerns about basic facilities while others commented on the situation with humour.
One user wrote on X, “India builds satellites, but at my local bank, I need mountaineering gear to enter. Can someone explain our priorities?”
Other users wrote, “India not for starters” and “Looks like a burglar proof bank”.
A third user posted, “Customers are measuring ladder which is placed over tractor trolley to access the bank. Several questions to ask. But .. leave it! India is not for beginners.”
New staircase installed after video went viral?
A steel staircase has reportedly been installed by the owner of the house, where the bank operates, to allow staff members and customers to reach the branch after the video went viral online, the report said.
