City post offices fail to provide new notes leading to immense problems

There were unending queues at post offices that opened to exchange and collect invalid notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 across the country, with some Branches running out of cash.

Since Thursday morning, people thronged the various post offices and sub post offices, which opened after a day’s break to replace demonetised currency notes with newly-introduced high-security notes of Rs 2,000.

But in Kolkata, most of the post offices were mostly unable to deliver the new notes saying no cash is available in the office. Instead, they gave away forms to the customers to fill up and submit for delivering cash later. The sub post offices were seen giving small pieces of papers to the elderly customers asking them to write down the denomination, savings account number and KYC. 

But, most of the elderly customers, who do not have registered their KYC yet, faced immense problem.

Although promised, the new Rs 500 notes were not put into circulation in the most parts of Kolkata. But those who got the magenta-coloured new Rs 2,000 notes with a Mangalyaan imprint on the reverse looked happy.

Many went a step further and got their currency exchange from 2-3 different Branches during the first day itself as there are no restrictions on number of times one can exchange notes. Exchange facility is also available at post offices and various outlets of RBI.

However, the State Bank of India gave brand new currency notes to some of the post offices including Kolkata GPO – to help sort out the problem.

“I waited four hours outside the Post Office at Bekbagan Crossing. But they did not change my money. I was asked to come on Saturday,” said an elderly man.

With the day-long turmoil in front of the ATM outlets – the city denizens and the people of districts as well also returned empty handed from the post offices.