Short of cash, the bank officials here are worried as to how they would cope up with the surge of customers when the salary of November month is disbursed to the employees. It is a normal observation that the inflow of customers in first week of any month is highest as the salaried class head to the banks to withdraw cash to meet their routine expenses of the month. The demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes by the government has resulted in a shortage of cash in the banks. Though the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials are working overtime to supply new currency notes to bank branches, the situation is still far from normal in Dehradun district. The bank officials admit that the RBI has not dispatched the cash they have asked them to send. They informed that the big braches and banks with chest are somehow managing the situation but the small branches and banks are finding it tough to disburse cash. “We are worried as to how we will deal with customers in first week of December. People in urban areas understand our situation but in rural areas and semi urban centres things are difficult to handle. We have asked the district magistrate to provide adequate security in bank branches in next few days,’’ said a senior bank official.
On Tuesday this correspondent visited many bank branches and found out that many banks are refusing customers intending to withdraw money from their accounts. “It is really annoying to be told by the bank staff that we can not withdraw money from our account. Twenty one days have elapsed since the demonetization was declared by the government and I believe that it is long enough for the RBI to provide adequate currency to the banks,’’ said Anuj Sharma a Dharampur resident. Similar sentiments were echoed by Bharati Rawat a resident of Defence colony. “I have to deposit fees of my two children, purchase ration for the month and has a marriage in the family. I don’t know how I will manage in such a situation,’’ she said.
The branches of SBI were found disbursing cash but PNB branches refused cash to the customers. Some customers were seen arguing with the bank employees in some of the branches of the ICICI and HDFC banks as they wanted these banks to open separate counters for those intending to deposit and withdraw money. Apart from shortage of cash the banks are facing the problem as only one consignment of new Rs 500 notes has reached in the city so far. It is learnt that this consignment only had Rs 10 crore which was distributed equally among SBI and PNB. These banks are dispensing these notes only through ATM network.
Meanwhile, the ATM network provided some solace to the people as most of the ATMs of the city were found actively dispensing money. The manager of district lead bank, Gopal Singh Rana said that out of 739 ATMs in the district, 580 ATMs are re-calibrated to dispense new notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 and all of them were active on the day.
