Day 35 : Cash Starved People Storm "Cashless" Banks & Return Empty Handed

Hyderabad : Serpentine queues appeared before all the banks throughout Telangana State when they reopened on Tuesday after a three-day holiday. With fond hope of getting relief after their agonising wait for the past 35 days for the required cash for their day-to-day needs, people from all walks of life made a beeline to the banks and ATMs, but as usual most of them were left with disappointment and despair as the bank authorities throwing their hands up on the plea that adequate cash deposits were not received from the RBI. Within a short time after reopening, the anxious crowds desperately waiting in the queues were greeted with "No Cash" sign boards appearing at the entrance.

Having failed to draw the cash from their accounts, people crowded at the ATMs, which were functioning. However, here too the people after spending hours in the queues were forced to return bank as the limited cash deposits got exhausted within no time. As a matter of fact, most of the ATMs continued to greet the people with “no cash” sign boards. After having managed to make good with whatever little cash they had during the three-day bank holiday, people stormed the banks and ATMs with the fond hope of getting some relief only to return empty handed.

Innumerable number of persons, especially the working class, bemoaned that neither they were able to lay hands on the paltry amounts being dispensed at the banks but also they had to forego their leaves for waiting before the banks. It was a real heartburn for them as they had to apply for leave to stand before the banks, while many of them were served with show-cause notices for coming late to work. And despite all these hardships, they were not able to get the required cash, they complained.

There is no denial of the fact that normal life of the people had gone haywire after demonetization. Shortage of small notes has only added to the woes for many. Even after laying hands on a Rs 2000 note, many were put to a lot of hardships as neither they were able to procure petty essentials for want of change nor they were able to get change for the 2000 note. It’s like thirsting for drinking water when caught in mid sea. The pensioners, most of them aged and depending on the monthly pensions, were the worst affected. Even after a fortnight, they were not able to draw their pensions while many of them were forced to shuttle from one bank to another to know whether the pensions have been deposited in their accounts or not.