BHUBANESWAR: Even as normalcy in banking operations has been restored in Puri district in the aftermath of devastating cyclone Fani, withdrawal of cash remains a problem as majority of the ATMs are still non-functional.As on Tuesday, most of the brick and mortar branches of banks operating in cyclone-affected districts except Puri have become operational. While 40 per cent ATMs are functional in Puri, 79.22 per cent of the cash vending machines are operational in Khurda. Similarly, 82.4 per cent, 83 per cent and 86.55 per cent ATMs are operating in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district respectively.
On the day, Chief Secretary AP Padhi flagged off a mobile ATM of HDFC Bank for Puri from the Secretariat here. Padhi said the ATM would provide cash withdrawal facility in remote rural areas of Puri district.Responding to media queries, Principal Secretary, Finance Ashok Kumar Meena said, “Banking service in Puri is improving with restoration of power supply and data connectivity.” As of now, almost all the banks in the district have started functioning while around 40 per cent of the ATMs are functional, he informed.
“Mobile ATMs have been pressed into service in areas having below average data connectivity. The Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) has sent 15 mobile ATMs to different areas of the district. Besides, banks like HDFC, UCO and SBI have also deployed their mobile ATM wings in the district,” Meena said.
There is no dearth of cash in the district. The mobile ATMs are meeting the cash requirement of people, he said and added that 25 mobile ATMs have been pressed into service in Puri. Mobile connectivity has been temporarily restored with the help of mobile cellular towers erected by BSNL and other private telecom operators. Special Secretary, General Administration and Public Administration SN Girish, Odisha Zone Head of HDFC Bank Rajesh Srivastava and Regional Head Animesh Biswal attended the event.
Drive to restore green cover in Mayfair
Bhubaneswar : The Mayfair Group of Hotels on Tuesday launched a plantation drive to restore greenery in and around Mayfair Lagoon which sustained extensive damage in cyclone Fani on May 3. The plantation was done along Mayfair road connecting Biju Patnaik College and Gangadhar Meher road. Government officials including Development Commissioner Asit Tripathy, Sports and Tourism Secretary Vishal Dev, BMC Commissioner Samarth Verma, Twin City Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty and PCCF Sandeep Tripathy participated in the drive and planted saplings as a token of their support towards the initiative. Mayfair Group executive director Souvagya Mohapatra thanked the State Government and other agencies for their support in restoration of green cover in the City and repair of hotel infrastructure in Puri and Bhubaneswar. Mayfair officials said the group has always followed the business practice of low-rise and eco-friendly property and all its hotels have extensive green cover.