Naveen Reviews Currency Situation; No Cash In ATMs

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday directed banks to ensure that common people do not suffer during the deposit and exchange of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1000 at their branches in the state.

“Banks must ensure that the people do not face any harassment and delay when they come for deposit or exchange of notes,” said the Chief Minister after taking a review meeting on the currency situation in the state.

A state level monitoring group under the finance secretary would be formed to monitor that the beneficiaries under various schemes including MGNREGS would not suffer due to the demonetisation of the higher currencies.

He directed the banks to open temporary banking counters and send mobile banks for the benefit of people in the panchayats, where banking facilities are not available.

Notably, about 4400 panchayats do not have banking facilities in the state.

Meanwhile, small traders and common people are facing severe hardship after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 even as the ATMs were opened after two-day close down on Friday.

Long serpentine queues were witnessed at banks and ATMs as people rushed to get new banknotes. However, people face difficulties withdrawing money at hundreds of ATMs in Bhubaneswar and other cities as many ATMs ran out of cash in a couple of hours.