A bizarre situation unfolded in Odisha’s Bhadrak district after the staircase of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch was demolished during an anti-encroachment drive—forcing employees and customers to climb a ladder mounted on a tractor to enter the building.
A video from Charampa market, now viral on X (formerly Twitter), shows people carefully climbing a wooden ladder to reach the first-floor SBI branch.
According to reports, local authorities conducted the demolition drive to clear illegal encroachments from Charampa market to Bhadrak railway station. Several shops, temporary structures, and parts of residential buildings were brought down. The SBI branch’s front portion and staircase were demolished after officials determined they were built on encroached land, leaving no proper entry to the bank.
Officials said that multiple notices were issued to both the building owner and the bank prior to the demolition, but no corrective action was taken.
After the demolition, the SBI branch arranged a wooden ladder placed on the back of a tractor for staff and customers to access the first floor. Videos of the arrangement ignited public outrage and mockery online, with many questioning how India’s largest bank failed to verify the legality of its own premises.
Internet Reactions
Users flooded social media with sarcastic comments:
"India is not for beginners."
"SBI — India’s largest bank with a huge legal team — couldn’t realise its own staircase was encroachment. Yet the govt expects a common citizen to understand every land & compliance rule. India is truly not for beginners."
"World-class security. Chor bhi do bar shochenge chori se pehle."
"It has become the safest bank now!"
"its happen only in india"
"SBI charges huge processing fees to check papers b4 issuing loans,reject loans on 'illegal' termed projects/ did their staff ignore this for own branch location? does SBI itself promote use of such illegal properties?"
