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Bengal

Bitter verbal duels, public restlessness marks day VIII

The ordeal of people due to demonetisation entered the 8th day on Wednesday.

Long queues were seen outside nationalised and private banks. There were verbal duels between the customers and bank officials in some ATM counters. Long rows of trucks were seen in Bengal Odisha border and Siliguri after the owners of eateries, roadside restaurants and tea stalls refused to take old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

The trouble of common people intensified after some banks refused to change old notes of people who are not customers of that Branch. A Branch of UCO Bank in Central Kolkata refused o give more than Rs 5,000 to the customers who had gone to withdraw money. 

However, a person can withdraw up to Rs 24,000 per week. The bank officials said as the supply of notes was not adequate, they had to take such a decision. Most of the ATMs went out of stock in the evening. Though withdrawal of money up to Rs 2,500 has been allowed, most of the ATMs do not have Rs 500 notes and the people are left with no other option but to withdraw Rs 2,000.

In Birbhum, SUCI supporters burnt Prime Minister’s effigy. They shouted anti-Modi slogans and held him responsible for the present inconvenience of people.

Long rows of trucks were seen in Siliguri and the truck drivers are nearly starving as the eateries, roadside tea stalls and restaurants refused to accept old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. In Bengal-Odisha border, trucks got stranded at Jaleshwar after the check post authorities failed to provide them change.

Meanwhile, State Bank of India’s Kolkata circle recorded a deposit growth of Rs 8,500 crore after demonetisation of high-denomination currency notes on November 8, a top bank official said on Wednesday.

“Total cash deposit growth after demonetisation was Rs 8,500 crore and majority of it was deposited in cash,” said SBI Chief General Manager (Kolkata Circle) Partha Pratim Sengupta. SBI Kolkata circle comprises West Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman &Nicobar Island. There are 1,200 SBI Branches in Bengal and of which, 190 branches are in the state’s capital.

“On an average, the amount of exchange of old notes with new notes in a day is about Rs 120 crore. People can continue exchanging old notes with new notes in SBI Branches where the ink is yet to arrive,” said the bank’s Chief General Manager.

The ink will reach Malda and Murshidabad on Thursday. In some banks in the city, ink was put on the finger of the depositor.
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