No cash again in banks, ATMs all over region

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2

Pensioners and salaried people were disappointed for the second consecutive day today, as they were unable to get cash at banks and ATMs in the region. Customers were seen returning empty-handed from the banks and ATMs.

“I came to bank to withdraw my salary for the second consecutive day today, but the bank official said he can give only Rs 4,000 instead of Rs 24,000 and that too around noon. Again I went to the bank after taking leave from my office and withdrew Rs 4,000. I have seen such a horrible situation for the first time in the past 20 years,” said Tejinder Singh, 45.

While many bank officials complained that they had not received any cash today, those who received were rationing it to the customers. “We have not received any cash since morning but we are expecting in the afternoon. So we are making list of customers and their phone numbers so that we can inform them once cash is received by us,” said a private bank official.

On being asked whether the bank will allow its customers to withdraw Rs 24,000 from their accounts, he said, “We hope to get limited cash, so instead of Rs 24,000 we can give only Rs 5,000 so as to cater to larger segment of customers.”

Majority of the ATMs in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were without cash for the second consecutive day while the few which had cash went dry fast.

People complained that they had to make payments to domestic helps, grocery shops, milk man and car cleaners but with acute shortage of currency, making payments had become very difficult.

Meanwhile, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Ram Vir Singh today asked RBI officials not to discriminate between urban and rural areas and ensure supply of currency in right proportion.