There seems to be some hopes that cash chaos will end soon, considering the waning crowd at banks and ATMs in Delhi and other parts of the country on Wednesday, the eighth day of demonitisation. Despite thinning of the crowd, six people with alleged health complications died in Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
A 48-year-old resident of Old Delhi, Saud Ur Rehman, died on Wednesday allegedly after he suffered heart attack while standing in a queue for over eight hours to exchange now-defunct notes for new ones in lal Kuan. He was rushed to lok Nayak, where he was declared brought dead.
Three other people died in Maharashtra’s Nanded, Thane and Pune districts due to demonetisation work.
Two other people died in separate incidents in Ballia and Bareilly districts following distress over not being able to exchange old currency notes. In Ballia, a 40-year-old man died after suffering a heart attack as he could not exchange old currency notes for the “tilak” ceremony of his daughter, his family members claimed on Wednesday.
In Delhi, some areas like Connaught Place drew huge crowds but people stood in orderly manner and waited for their turn to either exchange or withdraw cash. Banks officials said they expect to start issuing new Rs500 notes in a day or two and the same will be stashed in ATMs. Cash flow in the banks and ATMs was a bit better.
The Delhi Police officials too sounded positive about the cash issue being resolved by the end of this week once banks start issuing new notes.
Many Delhiites standing in queues fully supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes in the bid to curb black money.
“Kadak chai jaisa kadak kadam zaroori hai (we need a strong step just like a cup of strong tea),” said Ajeet Singh, who stood in queue at Connaught Place to exchange his old notes. People in Trans Yamuna’s industrial hub Patparganj and Okhla Industrial Area in South east Delhi praised the PM’s move.
For the workers in these localities their current hardship was no less than a freedom struggle to weed out the corrupt hording the black money.
However, there were many who talked about their hardship in their quest to get their old currencies exchanged.
In many areas cash in ATMs was finished within an hour or so. “I waited for two hours in queue to withdraw Rs 2,500 and it (the ATM) ran out of cash when my turn was about to come. ATMs don’t have cash, banks have endless queues too. How do we manageIJ It is not frustrating to wait in line but not getting money even after that,” said Rishika Bajaj, a TCS employee.
Tanuka Mehta, a primary school teacher, said, “I can’t go to the bank because I have to go to school during those timings and can’t manage leaves. I go only to the ATM but haven’t been able to withdraw even once. How long can you buy groceries on creditIJ”
An autorickshaw driver lamented that their earnings have taken a hit after the demonetisation. “Taxi drivers can still survive because they can accept money through cards. I do not have such an option. I sit idle whole day because people don’t have cash to pay us and I don’t have money to return them,” he said.