Most of the ATMs in Dehradun were open, but bereft of cash. Officials of many banks, both government and private, have thrown up their hands, saying that they were unable to fill the ATMs, given the acute shortage of currencies. “We are yet to get new notes of the denomination of 500. Things might turn even worse in the coming days if the RBI does not release new 500 currencies,” one of the bank officials said.
The panicked people were found moving from ATM to ATM, to withdraw money to meet the expenses of living. Some of them vented their anger too.
As this correspondent visited various ATMs of SBI, Central Bank, Punjab Bank, HDFC and other banks in the city he found the same picture. Most of them were either closed or open, shorn of cash.
In a few, snaking lines of grim-faced people were seen waiting their turn to withdraw money. Those who were lucky were seen emerging from the ATM booths with broad smile lighting their faces.
Umesh Bisht who was one of such lucky persons said after emerging from an ATM booth at Old Survey Road that he had queued up for almost an hour waiting patiently and worriedly for his turn.
“I am happy. My luck failed me on previous two occasions,” he said. Asked whether he was supporting the Centre’s high value currency recall move, he quipped, “I don’t know. What I can say is that I am happy having some cash to meet the expenses for some days,” he said.
However, there were some instances of the people, standing in the queue, altercating with the bank officials, something that says that their patience is running thin with the current currency conundrum continuing for days. A lady professor was found begging the manager of a Central Bank branch at DAV (PG) College to favour her with at least ` 6, 000. “This is urgent. I have to reach Kanpur anyhow to attend the marriage function of a close relative,” she was heard saying. However, the bank manager looked non-committal. He said he would be able to assure her of the cash only after 3 pm on Friday.
The ATM at the SBI headquarters near Survey Chowk was found deserted with the machine having run out of cash. A bank official said that the money stored in the ATM had finished with the bank officials having withdrawn the cash. “I do not know when the ATM would be refilled,” he said, despairingly.
A Central Bank official said that the ATM near DBS College had run out of cash in just half an hour since it was filled. “We are solely depended on SBI headquarters for cashes,” he added.