No cash, no queues but cashless pain continues

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 Friday. 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.

In South Delhi areas including C R Park, Green Park, South Ex, Malviya Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, East of Kailash and Safdarjung Enclave, most of the ATMs were not functional.

“In search of a working ATM, I travelled from Green Park to C R Park but failed (to get cash). There was no ATM with cash anywhere and I went to Malviya Nagar where one of the ATMs was being refilled. I waited there and got some,” Sunita Banerjee, an engineer said.

“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,” she said.

A State Bank of India official in a south Delhi branch said the bank didn’t have enough cash to disburse to a huge crowd of people that waited outside since morning.

A man in a queue outside Bank of Baroda ATM in Jangpura told IANS: “I had only one rupee left in my pocket and I am waiting in a queue not knowing if I will get money or not.” Long serpentine queues were also seen outside J&K Bank ATMs in Jangpura and Greater Kailash.

A resident said he had counted and “only two out of 30 ATMs around Jangpura, Bhogal, Maharani Bagh, Ashram were working”. There were long queues with people desperately wanting to deposit and withdraw cash at Bank Of India in Lal Kuan in Old Delhi.

The bank had also put out a notice saying a customer can withdraw a maximum Rs 10,000 due to cash shortage, whereas, the government has allowed a maximum of Rs 24,000 withdrawal a week.