The reopening of liquor shops seems to have added to the cup of woes for bankers as they remain apprehensive of handling large volume of currency that passes through several hands.
Though a number of precautionary measures are in place, from maintaining physical distancing to provision of protective equipment such as gloves and visors as well as hand sanitisers, the sheer volume of cash that has started flowing since the outlets re-opened is a matter of worry.
It is an issue, particularly for those handling cash deposits, says R. Sriram, convenor for Telangana of the United Forum of Bank Unions. Until the liquor shops re-opened a few days ago, the cash handling at banks was largely restricted to managing the receipts from petrol bunks and the limited commercial establishments that functioned. With regard to those withdrawing cash, it was mostly the beneficiaries of the COVID-19 ex-gratia.
But all that changed once the liquor shops started depositing the daily sale receipts at the branches. He says the cash remitted by the outlets range from ₹5 lakh to upwards of even ₹1 crore.
A good chunk of the cash being brought to the banks for depositing in the accounts daily is from the liquor sales. The next highest comes from petrol bunks, but those numbers are relatively less considering that the fuel outlets business has been hit following the restrictions on vehicle movement.
Mr. Sriram said those handling cash are being advised to sanitise their hands after every transaction. There is little else that can be done, he adds, pointing out that the cash deposits by liquor shops are more in other parts than in the twin cities.
