BHUBANESWAR: Day after cyclone Fani grounded the Twin City’s power infrastructure and snapped internet services, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack virtually ran out of cash. With network servers thrown out of gear, neither the banks nor the ATMs could facilitate monetary transactions on Saturday. Cash-strapped residents ran from pillar to post for withdrawing money, only to return home unsuccessful and disappointed.
The situation turned worse as cashless transactions were declined at most of the departmental stores, shops and petrol pumps. The card swiping machines were not functioning due to lack of internet connectivity. Customers, unable to pay in cash, were not provided with fuel at a pumping station in Rasulgarh area.
“I wanted to save cash for buying groceries, vegetables and daily essentials. But, all of that was spent at the petrol pump as card payment was not accepted,” said Ram Routray, a resident of Govind Vihar.
At Cuttack too, denizens, struggling to recover from the merciless assault of Fani, rushed to shops to get provisions, mainly ration, candles, battery operated lights, fuel and other essential items but were returned due to inability to dole out cash. “To say the truth, we neglected this aspect as we prepared for Fani. That the ATMs will breakdown and deprive us of cash did not strike us. With little cash in hand, we now have to manage things until normalcy is restored”, said Trilochan Das of Ranihat in the Millennium City.
Many people also flocked to banks hoping for withdrawal of cash but the situation was same as banking operations had come to standstill due to complete breakdown in power and internet connectivity.
Though staff attended their branches on Saturday morning, post-lunch, most downed shutters with no transactions taking place.
An employee of a Government bank in Jharpada, Prabhakar Das, came to work from Puri at 9.15 am. With no work around due to server failure, he had to return back. Deputy Manager of a leading private bank Ankita Agarwal said all its 18 branches were not operational on Saturday. Moreover, uncertainty looms large on the fate of transactions.
“The phone lines are dead. We are unable to contact the head office or the main branch for further notification,” said Rimmy Panda, manager of a Government bank. As of now, none of the banks has chalked out any plans for resuming transactions.The cash crisis has hit the outsiders and tourists hard. A Mumbai-based printing professional Babul Chatterjee and his colleague from Delhi Ashok Kumar stood helpless in front of a private bank in Jharpada on seeing the branch shut.
“We have no cash to survive in Bhubaneswar for the next couple of days. Moreover, we are unable to contact our offices for seeking help,” said Babul. Not just them, daily commuters are also having a tough time in paying auto rickshaw drivers in loose currency. “The autos refuse to take you, if you don’t have coins or smaller notes,” said Mamata Das, resident of Bhubaneswar.