ICICI Bank computer 'bug', cripples banking operations

ICICI Bank customers are running from pillar to post as the computer network of the leading private sector lender is down for the last five days crippling banking operations.

An ICICI Bank official in the national capital told MAIL TODAY that the bank is upgrading its software to incorporate more features and streamline the system further.

"However, while the task was to be completed in two days, the network has crashed and we are helpless," he explained.

Another official said that the entire operation was being handled by the central team in Mumbai and they appear "to have let us down".

"While the network was to be restored in two days, some bugs have been found which have to be removed and the restoration work is still on", he added.

ICICI Bank officials could not confirm when exactly the system would be restored.

A customer who asked whether he could come on Thursday was politely told by a branch manager that he should make a call to confirm before visiting the bank.

An ICICI Bank customer told MAIL TODAY that he had to make a payment to a housing society for which the last date has now lapsed.

Now, he would have to pay a penalty for depositing the money late.

Another customer who had to send money to his son studying in a private medical college said that he would now have to borrow cash from a friend and send through some other bank "as it is pointless to keep waiting for the ICICI Bank network to be restored".

However, the ICICI Bank spokesperson in Mumbai in a late night response to MAIL TODAY said, "Our core banking system was upgraded between 5 pm on May 9 and 9 am on May 11. This was one of the largestever system upgrade in India. All critical functions like cash withdrawal at ATMs, payment using debit and credit cards and through Internet banking were uninterrupted during this period. Extreme care is taken to avoid any customer inconvenience. Post migration, we believe that our customers will have an even better banking experience."

(In association with Mail Today Bureau)