ATMs with only Rs 2,000 notes irk people in Bengaluru

While queues in front of ATMs have dwindled, cash flow remains a concern in the city.
An Indian man puts a new 2000 rupee note in his wallet after exchanging his old 500 and 1000 rupee notes (File  | AFP)
An Indian man puts a new 2000 rupee note in his wallet after exchanging his old 500 and 1000 rupee notes (File | AFP)

BENGALURU: While queues in front of ATMs have dwindled, cash flow remains a concern in the city. Sources say there are 16,929 ATMs across Karnataka of which 70 per cent have been calibrated and configured for the new currency notes.

However only 20 per cent of them are loaded with cash. This has invariably resulted in frustration among citizens. The primary concern expressed by Bengaluru residents is that Rs 500 or even Rs 100 notes are hardly available in any ATMs. Almost all the ATMs are giving out Rs 2000 notes only and getting change for the same has been a mammoth task.

Interestingly, the situation on Tuesday was far better than on Wednesday. Sources say due to the logistics issues in the RBI and the Finance Ministry, Rs 500 notes have not reached banks due to which ATMs have not been loaded with the new notes.

A senior official from a well-known bank said, “Our bank has 861 ATMs in Bengaluru. We have configured 600 of them. While on Tuesday, 350 of them had cash, on Wednesday only 190 had cash. There is some shortage of cash that we are witnessing. We are hoping the crisis will normalise soon.”
The mad rush near banks and ATMs witnessed last week has definitely reduced in Bengaluru. “There are around 20 people in the queue at a time, which is much lesser than last week. There were at least 100 people standing in the queue for hours on Monday. The road also witnessed traffic jam because of haphazard vehicle parking by anxious customers,’’ said a security guard who works with a nationalised bank in Rajajinagar Third Block.

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The New Indian Express
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