Nightmares to cash-starved people over three-day bank holiday

Hyderabad, Dec.9: The three-day holiday for banks from Saturday is sending jitters and nightmares to the people, especially the poor and middle class besides the aged pensioners, who are already reeling under innumerable hardships and untold agony for the past one month for want of required cash for their daily needs. While there seems to be no relief for people from the cash crunch following demonetization of big notes, the closure of banks for the next three days from tomorrow seem to be like rubbing salt to the injury. The banks will be observing holidays because it being second Saturday tomorrow, the next day being Sunday and Monday being Milad-Un-Nabi. Though long queues before banks, which continue to claim less cash availability and most of the ATMs continue remain shut, has become a regular feature these days people in hoards made a beeline to the banks in view of the three-day holiday for banks. What is intriguing is that despite the banks being closed for the next three days the authorities have not taken any extra measures to ensure that whatever little amount that could be dispersed for the daily needs would be made available to the people. It is a heart rendering sight to watch aged pensioners standing for hours before the banks, leave alone to get their partly pensions, to know whether their pensions have been credited to their account. Despite tall claims being made by the baking authorities including the RBI and the Union Finance Ministry, no special arrangements were made at the banks for the senior citizens including the pensioners. As a matter of fact it has become a regular feature for the people rush to banks early in the morning every day, stand in the queue for ours and return empty handed with the banks claiming non-availability of cash. What is intriguing is that while the common man is forced to spend hours before the banks for drawing cash from their own accounts, reports are emanating about the CBI or police authorities nabbing many unscrupulous elements with hoards of cash at various places. Thus demonetization seem to have only affected the common man as the unscrupulous are continuing their nefarious activities, the Opposition parties are engaged in disrupting parliament, the ruling party members are busy in a blame game and the Prime Minister, the brain-behind the demonetisation, is avoiding parliament and preaching to the people to be patient from outside. Then who will come to the rescue of the people for their daily need of cash, is the big question plaguing the minds of everyone.