The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and its agency banks were unable to supply even 50% of the currency demanded by treasuries for disbursing salary and pensions on Wednesday.
As per the details provided by the Treasury Department, against a demand for ₹103 crore, the RBI could provide only ₹49 crore to the treasuries till 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
As many as 38 treasuries did not receive cash.
The treasuries in Vellanad and Kundara, pension treasury in Kollam, the sub-treasuries in Anchal, Pathanamthitta, Adoor, Alappuzha, Cherthala, Pocchakkal, Pallikathode, Kuravilangad, Painav, Rajakumari, Kattapana, Ernakulam, Kalloorkadu, Kozhikode, Nadavayal, Dwaraka, Chattanchal, Malakallu, Peravoor and Iritty and the district treasuries in Alappuzha, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasaragod did not get currency.
The currency shortage was acute in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kanur districts as per the details provided by the Treasury Department.
Finance Department sources told The Hindu here that the RBI had promised to meet the demand from Thursday and said the currency situation would improve soon.
Bank authorities blamed the truck strike for the currency crisis and hoped to end the impasse soon. But the government held the Centre responsible for the crisis and said the short-supply was part of a political design.
The apex bank, the government feels, is acting in a discriminatory manner as per political directives. Hence does not expect a let-up in the situation soon.
The sources also dispelled the notion that the State was facing a resource crunch.
The funds for disbursing the salary and pensions have been transferred to the respective accounts, but the payments are being disrupted due to currency crunch and the government should not be blamed for the crisis, the sources said.
