The common man, who was agog when demonetisation was announced on Wednesday night, appeared to be frustrated on the third day after the government failed to make arrangements for cash dispensation in Mangaluru.
Let alone for exchange of old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes, cash was not available even for withdrawal from one’s account either in banks or post offices at many places of this hub of economic activities in coastal Karnataka. ATMs across the region were still non-functional even as the authorities concerned were reported to be making arrangements to replace the cash trays only by Friday morning.
Senior officials at the State Bank of India, the nodal agency for distribution at Mangaluru, said cash was being made available in limited quantities and the distribution is being rationed. The Head Post Office at Pandeshwar witnessed long queues since morning even as it received just Rs. 5 lakh cash by noon. Another post office at Kankanady was yet to receive any cash even at noon.
Ganesh, a retired government employee, who was waiting to exchange old currency notes at a SBI branch, said that the wait has become too long. As a middle class person, he too supported the government initiative to eliminate counterfeit notes and black money. “But, how long should I wait to utilise my legally earned money,” he wondered.
Lalit Kumar, a retired bank manager waiting for cash exchange at a post office, however, said that people should not lose patience. It is a very big exercise and takes time to settle down, he said.
‘Cash available’
A senior official with a nationalised bank said that cash, in the denominations of Rs. 100 and below, was in good supply since Wednesday and there is no problem. With regard to non-availability of cash at ATMs, the officer said the vendors who fill the ATMs must be playing the spoilsport.
Great hardship
Our Hassan Staff Correspondent reports:
For the third consecutive day on Friday, the public had difficulty in withdrawing money from their bank accounts, as there was a delay in making ATM kiosks operational. Hundreds of people stood in long queues in front of banks and ATM kiosks.The ATM kiosks started functioning only in the afternoon, but not all. “We were expecting the ATMs to function by early morning on Friday. The government had also announced the same. It has been more than two hours since I reached the ATM kiosk, there is no money in it”, complained Naveen Kumar, an employee in a private firm in Hassan. He was left with only three Rs. 100 notes in the last two days. “I did not go to any bank on Thursday hoping that the ATMs would be opened on Friday. The government should not make us suffer at the cost of rich who keep black money”, he said.
Similar was the anger of senior citizens standing in queues in front of banks. “I am a retired State government employee and I live by my pension amount. I had drawn the amount in the beginning of the month and all that I had received was five Rs. 100 notes. I stood in the queue for two hours to get an exchange of Rs.4,000”, said Srinivas Gowda.
Marriage plans affected
A family at Bittagodanahalli near Hassan has been facing difficulty in arranging funds for the marriage scheduled next week. “My son’s marriage has been scheduled next week and we had borrowed a few thousand rupees to purchase clothes and jewellery. Now, we are not in a position to make use of that or exchange the entire amount in one go”, said Manje Gowda. The bank officials have asked him to deposit the amount in his account and withdraw a maximum of Rs.10,000 per day or make transactions either through cheque or online. “I need money to pay to different people – food contractor, flower decorator, jewellery shopkeeper and many more. They all want money in cash”, he said.
Our Shivamogga Staff Reporter reports:
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Shivamogga city on Friday owing to the delay in commencement of the functioning of ATMs. Nithin Tiwary, a resident of M.C. Halli near here, had bagged contract for the work of laying drinking water pipeline in Kundapur town. At present, 15 persons from Bihar are working under him in Kundapur town for the project. “After demonetisation of the currency notes, I could not pay wage for the workers from the past two days. The workers are facing shortage of food as the grocery shops and hotels there are not accepting the currency notes of Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 denomination with them,” he said.
Mr. Tiwary had planned to withdraw cash from ATM kiosks in Shivamogga city with the debit cards issued in his name and the card owned by his wife and reach Kundapur town by evening to pay money for the workers. “I had to change the travel plans owing to delay in commencement of the functioning of ATMs,” he said.
The major chunk of ATM kiosks in downtown areas including B.H. Road, Nehru Road, Park Extension, and Durgigudi had not commenced functioning till 3.30 pm. The bank officials blame shortage of cash as the reason.
