New Delhi, Apr 27 (KNN) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the coverage of Ombudsman Scheme to non-deposit taking non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) having asset size of Rupees 100 crore or above with customer interface.

It will provide a cost-free and expeditious complaint redressal mechanism relating to deficiency in the services by NBFCs covered under the scheme.

The scheme also provides for an appellate mechanism under which the complainant / NBFC has the option to appeal against the decision of the Ombudsman before the Appellate Authority.

The Non-Banking Financial Company-Infrastructure Finance Company (NBFC-IFC), Core Investment Company (CIC), Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-banking Financial Company (IDF-NBFC) and an NBFC under liquidation, are excluded from the ambit of the Scheme.

The Scheme is introduced with the object of enabling resolution of complaints free of cost, relating to certain aspects of services rendered by certain categories of non-banking financial companies registered with the Reserve Bank, to facilitate the satisfaction or settlement of such complaints, and matters connected therewith.

The offices of the NBFC Ombudsmen are functioning at four metro centres viz. Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi and handle complaints of customers in the respective zones.