ROURKELA/SAMBALPUR/JEYPORE: No great rush was witnessed at banks across the districts in Odisha on the first day of exchange of Rs 2,000 currency notes on Tuesday. In Rourkela, bank branches had put in place necessary arrangements anticipating a rush of customers to get rid of the Rs 2,000 notes. However, the business remained usual.
SBI’s outgoing regional manager for Rourkela region AC Naik said there was no unusual arrival of Rs 2,000 denomination notes for deposit. “In normal circumstances, there is very less circulation of the big note and Monday was no different.”
Similarly in Sambalpur, not many people were seen rushing to banks to exchange Rs 2,000 notes. Bank branches in Sambalpur city had made separate counters to manage the crowd but the customer footfall was usual like any normal day.
An official of a nationalised bank said, “We did not see many customers coming for exchange of the big notes on the first day. But the number might increase in next few days.”Another official said it is likely that customers did not visit banks due to the heatwave condition prevailing in the region. However, an official of a private bank said many customers paid their EMIs with Rs 2,000 notes.
Sources said though there are a number of cash deposit machines in the city, most of these were not accepting Rs 2,000 notes.In Koraput, normal situation prevailed in most of the banks. Only 12 customers turned up at the main branch of SBI in Jeypore to exchange Rs 2,000 notes.
“There was no rush for exchange of Rs 2,000 notes at the counters and we had normal business like other days,” informed in-charge chief manager of SBI, Jeypore branch Debdutt Gochhayat.
Member of Jeypore chamber of commerce V Pravakar said traders have four months time to deposit the Rs 2,000 notes in banks and there is no reason to panic.Jewellery stores and fuel stations in the district also did not witness any unusual transactions of Rs 2,000 notes on the day.
Prasanjeet Sarkar/Mayank Bhusan Pani/Akhaya Mishra