Queues continue as only 43% ATMs functional in F’bad

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 4

The district is getting only 21 per cent of the required cash on daily basis, resulting in cash crunch even after 25 days of demonetisation.

Though the authorities have claimed of having re-calibrated around 90 per cent of the total 661 ATMs in the district, it is reported that only 285 of these have been made functional. These ATMs are able to provide cash for only one-two hours daily, it is revealed. “I could withdraw money on the fourth day of my attempt,” claimed Varun, a resident.

More than half the ATMs remain non-functional or closed due to various problems, which include non-availability of cash or non-caliberation, it is claimed. More than 75 ATMs in the city haven’t been working since since demonetisation.

Admitting acute crunch, Inder Mohan Sharma, Lead District Manager, said efforts were on to make all ATMs functional. He said the district was getting only Rs 32 crore for disbursal to banks and ATMs on daily basis against the required demand of Rs 150 crore. The problem was likely to get resolved to some extent after receipt and disbursal of the new Rs 500 denomination currency note, which was still to begin. “The implementation of cashless transaction may take some time,” said an official.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Chandershekhar has instructed the officials concerned to ensure opening of bank accounts of all industrial workers for payment of their salary by the due date.

DC visits ATMs to hear users’ woes

Sonepat: Following complaints of irregularities at ATMs, Sonepat Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang inspected a number of ATMs in many localities of the town on Saturday. He interacted with customers standing in queue and sought reports on cash availability. He directed bank officials to entertain a person with only one ATM card each time. He directed them to keep ATMs updated as well. There should not be any inconvenience to the bank customers, he asserted. The Deputy Commissioner urged customers as well as supervisors at ATMs to use only one card at a time so that other persons standing in queue could withdraw cash.

Let’s go cashless: CM

Karnal: Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said people were enthusiastic following demonetisation and they would witness overwhelmed results soon. He was here to attend a social programme. Interacting with media persons, he urged the people to adopt a cashless system. The people had welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonetise high-denomination currency, he reiterated. “The people can make transactions easy through e-wallets, ATMs, debit  cards, credit cards and other methods,” he said. Asked about the pulling up of the police team investigating the Murthal rape cases by High Court, he said the matter was in court. TNS

IAF man held with Rs 11 lakh cash

Rohtak: The district police have arrested  Air Force employee Paramjit, a resident of Bahu Akbarpur village in the district, with currency notes worth about Rs 11 lakh.  The police has registered a case and informed the Income Tax Department.   A police spokesman said a car was signalled to stop for at a check-post. However, the driver sped away. The police personnel manning the naka immediately flashed a wireless message following which the car was intercepted by a police team.   The occupant of the car was identified as Paramjit, an Air Force employee . A sum of about Rs 11 lakh in cash in the form of currency notes of Rs 2,000, 1,000, 500, and 100 etc was found but Paramjit could not give any satisfactory reply.   Rohtak SSP Rakesh Arya said the Air Force man had been arrested and a case registered against him. TNS