The currency availability scenario in the city continued to remain bleak on Saturday, with long queues at banks and ATM kiosks. While about 45 per cent of the ATMs have been calibrated to accommodate the new currency, the rest will be calibrated over the next five days, a spokesperson of a public sector bank said.
When asked why the re-caliberated machines not being filled with cash, he said, “There is a huge logistical issue. The ATMs are emptied in just a few minutes. There is no separate manpower to refill them constantly. Most of our staff are busy attending to customers in banks,” the official explained.
However, most ATM kiosks remained shut through the day. The few kiosks that were refilled in the morning were emptied within minutes. Not many ATM kiosks were refilled.
Dorairaj, a trader in Yeshwantpur, spent over four hours in a bank to deposit cash and withdraw Rs. 10,000. “There is such a huge rush in banks that depositing cash has become an uphill task,” he said.
Naveen Shankar, a techie, said that the long queue in the bank turned a place for bonhomie with friendships being struck and jokes cracked on the long wait. “The exchange and withdrawal limit is too low. It would be great if they are increased,” he said.
