Despite hike in cash limit, no respite as ATMs run dry throughout city

Though the government has eased the cash withdrawal limit at ATMs from Rs 4,500 to Rs 10,000, it has hardly resolved the cash crisis as the poor functioning of ATMs remain a major issue in the Capital. People claim that despite raising the cash limit, there is no respite. They claim that even after 10 weeks of demonetisation, they find the majority of the ATMs non-operational.

The cash position has not become better even after over two months of the demonetisation move. Till date, most of the money vending machines in the city are running dry.

“There is no cash in most of the ATMs and the situation is getting worse day by day. One or two ATMs that are stocked with some cash have endless queues with no possibility of returning back home with money in hand,” said a resident of Ashok Vihar.

Even after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased the daily cash withdrawal limit,  people were seen waiting in long lines as most of the cash dispensing machines ran out of money within hours after being stocked while thousands of ATMs are still not functional in the Capital. “It was such a relief to know that the RBI has hiked the ATM withdrawal amount. My relief turned into despair when I realised that the ATM cash supply situation still remains the same. ATMs are either cashless or non-functioning,” said 32-year-old Neha Aggarwal, a resident of New Gupta Colony.

“We hope that we will soon be able to withdraw at least some amount of money from the ATMs without wasting time or standing in long queues,” she added.

Anshita Khurana, a student, said: “It is so irritating to stand in long queues and by the time you are about to reach the door of the ATM, you come to know that the machine has gone cashless. I am running from pillar to post to get my own money back.” She adds: “No one realises that following this same routine of standing in long queues only to get disheartened in return is a mere waste of time,” she added.