Many ATMs still dry in national Capital

After 50-day grace period of Prime Minister Narender Modi to set things right post demonetisation, cash crunch continued to trouble people across the National Capital.

Automated Teller Machines, or ATMs, across Delhi are yet to resume their operations at par with the pre-demonetisation days –while some of them were found dispensing cash on Monday, many others were still dry.

At Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, Najmi Sethi, who runs an electronics goods showroom, was pleading with his bank that he needed all of Rs 24,000 to pay his part-time staff. "I should have sent someone daily to withdraw Rs 6,000 at least," he was heard mumbling.

There were no queues outside many ATMs in Delhi and adjoining satellite towns as the cash disbursing machines were running dry or not functional on Monday But people, scrambling for money, stood in long lines outside banks and ATMs where cash was available.

In most of the areas in the national capital, banks ran out of cash within hours of opening. "I have to make payments to many people. I will have to wait in the queue to withdraw more cash daily so that I clear my dues," said, Jamia Student Salma khan. Only three of the 10 ATMs in East Delhi were found to have any cash. Those dispensing cash had 10-15 persons standing in queues.

It was complete chaos at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Nangloi in West Delhi area, where the ATM has not seen any cash since the demonetisation happened on November 8 last year. Nearly 100-130 people waited outside the bank in the hope of getting cash through cheques, while people breaking the queue to get it out of turn created the chaos.

"They (Sashastra Seema Bal) are not letting us in, telling us to come in queue. But they keep letting the ones known to them inside. Why should we come in line then?" an agitated customer said.