HomeCirculars › RBI/2005-06/89

Relaxed KYC for Flood Victims: Aug 2005 Circular

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/89 · issued 02 Aug 2005 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI allowed banks to open accounts for Maharashtra flood victims with minimal formalities—introduction from an existing account holder, basic ID/address proof, or two neighbours' references—to speed up relief cheque disbursement of Rs 50,000–2 lakh.

What changed

RBI relaxed KYC norms for flood-affected persons in Maharashtra, permitting account opening with reduced documentation. Banks could accept introduction from another account holder, basic identity documents (voter ID, driving license, office/school ID) plus address proof (electricity bill, ration card), or introduction by two neighbours with such documents. Any other evidence satisfactory to the bank was also allowed.

What it means for you

Banks must prioritize quick account opening for disaster victims to ensure relief funds reach them without delay. This circular overrides standard KYC requirements temporarily, but banks retain discretion to verify identity to their satisfaction. Lenders should prepare internal guidelines for similar future relaxations during calamities.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

Scheduled commercial banks, Regional rural banks, Branch managers in flood-affected areas, Compliance and KYC teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What was the amount of relief cheques mentioned in this circular?

The circular stated that the State Government was arranging to issue cheques ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh to affected persons.

Does this relaxation apply to all banks or only specific ones?

It applies to all scheduled commercial banks including regional rural banks, as addressed to their chief executives.

Can we accept any document as proof under this relaxation?

Yes, the circular allows 'any other evidence to the satisfaction of the bank' if the listed options are not available, giving banks discretion.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2787: DBOD.No.AML.BC.23/14.01.064/2005-06 — "Facilitating Opening of Bank Accounts for Flood Affected Persons" dated August 2, 2005”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-06/89 Ref.DBOD.No.AML.BC. 23 /14.01.064 /2005-06 August 2, 2005 To The Chief Executives of Scheduled Commercial Banks including Regional Rural Banks Dear Sirs Facilitating opening of bank accounts for flood affected persons Please refer to our circular DBOD.No.AML.BC.58/14.01.001/2004-05 dated November 29, 2004 on Know Your Customer Guidelines – Anti-Money Laundering standards. In terms of the above circular, banks were advised to formulate a customer acceptance policy and customer identification procedure to be followed while opening an account. 2. As you are aware, a large number of persons have been affected by unprecedented floods in Maharashtra. The State Government is arranging to issue cheques ranging from Rs.50,000/- to Rs.2.00 lakh to affected persons who may or may not be having bank accounts and would need to quickly open bank accounts. In view of the calamity and the need to provide immediate succour, banks are advised to observe minimum formalities for enabling such persons to open a bank account quickly. The accounts may be opened with – a. introduction from another account holder or b. documents of identity such as Voter's Identity Card or a driving license, identity card issued by an office, company, school, college, etc. along with a document indicating the address such as Electricity Bill, Ration Card etc. or c. introduction by two neighbours who have the documents as indicated in para 2 (b ) above or d. in the absence of the above any other evidence to the satisfaction of the bank. Yours faithfully ( Prashant Saran ) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/89 · issued 02 Aug 2005. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2404&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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