SRIKAKULAM: Notwithstanding the notion that demonetisation blues were over, ATMs started sporting ‘no cash boards’ on Wednesday morning in Srikakulam city. By the afternoon, barring a several select ATMs kiosks ran dry.
Three days have passed since then and there has been no respite. With the bankers showing their helplessness saying that the available cash has been diverted for disbursal of social security pensions and salary of government staffers, Collector P Lakshmi Narasimham sought immediate release of Rs 50 crore from the state government to tide over the crisis. However, no money has been received so far, as the people are left in the lurch. The bank officials say that they are likely to receive Rs 30 crore on Monday.
The condition of the areas on the city outskirts and the other mandal headquarters are even worse.
“I promised a person from whom I borrowed Rs 10,000 that I will repay the money on Saturday. In Kotturu all ATMs have run dry. Hoping that ATMs in Srikakulam must be dispensing cash, I travelled 60 km to withdraw money only. But, no luck. I am returning empty handed,” said Damodhar Appala Naidu, a resident of Kotturu.
The story of P Jagadeesh Kumar was no different. “I came to the city (Srikakulam) all the way from Ponduru (25 km). After roaming for hours in the city, finally I could withdrew money from an ATM on the Arts College Road. I felt like the richest person of the world,” said P Jagadeesh Kumar from Ponduru, after getting money from the few ATMs that dispensed cash on Saturday.
A reality check by the Express on Saturday revealed that the situation has gone for the worse since Wednesday.
SBI ATMs on Palakonda road, at Hospital Junction, Day and Night Junction, Rythu Bazaar remained closed.
ATMs of Andhra Bank on New Bridge Road and Hospital Junction, Oriental Bank of Commerce at Sindhura Junction, Axis Bank ATMs at Hospital Road Junction, Punjab National Bank at Day and Night Junction, IOB ATM at Rythu Bazaar Junction ran out of cash. The ICICI ATM at Day and Night Junction, Bank of India ATM on Arts College Road, SBI ATM on GT Road dispensed cash where serpentine queues were found. Most of these ATMs delivered only Rs 2,000 notes.
Similar situation prevailed in Palasa, known as the cashew capital of the state. “A few ATMs on the bank premises delivered cash, but they went dry in an hour,” said P Krishna, a resident of Palasa, adding that majority of the ATMs showed ‘out of service’ boards.
Meanwhile, the use of digital transactions has gone up since the ATMs ran dry. “After the ease of cash crunch post demonetisation, our customers again resorted to cash payment. But, since Wednesday, digital transaction at our refuelling station has gone up by 30 per cent,” said an employee of a petrol pump in Srikakulam.