BHUBANESWAR: It has been ten days since the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes were declared illegal tender and the new currency of higher denomination was launched, but the unavailability of cash in the ATMs continues to affect people considerably in Bhubaneswar.
ATM kiosks in the city wear a deserted look for a major part of the day. While leftover cash from Thursday night, was scantily available in some ATMs in the city, those were exhausted by 9 am in the morning. Cash was not refilled in a majority of ATM counters till late evening on Friday.
While most ATM counters were closed, shutters of some were half down indicating that there was a possibility of refill during the day. Other places had a notice board with a message in bold - 'No Cash'.
ATM counters in areas including Station Square, Jaydev Vihar Square, Saheed Nagar, Forest Park, Cuttack Road and Janpath had no money. The trouble continued for commuters, office-goers, public transporters, businessmen, tourists and retired personnel equally.
“I came from Panikoili for some work and was to catch a bus to Kolkata from Baramunda bus stand. I did not carry much cash apprehending pickpockets in the bus stand. I did not expect the situation in the State capital to be worse than my native,” said Ambika Purohit, a cloth merchant.
Situation was appalling at Capital Hospital where patients from Khurda, Nayagarh and Puri, and their attendants are unable to withdraw cash from the sole SBI ATM installed on the premises of the hospital. The counter was not refilled all day.
Bank authorities claim that cash was refilled in a regulated manner as per availability. “In the current situation, we are not in a position to demand additional cash over our daily quota. The surplus cash goes into ATMs counters at important branches, while we have to face the wrath of the customers,” the senior manager of a nationalised bank said on conditions of anonymity.
The scarcity of new Rs 2000 notes also hit the public badly in Bhubaneswar. With the ATM machines dispensing only Rs 100 notes, it dried out in no time.
“If the bank authorities fill the cash dispensing machines with Rs 100 and Rs 2000 notes proportionally, then customers can get their quota for the day within the limited period during which cash is available, Rohit Sinha,” an engineering graduate said.