No cash in ATMs, customers face the heat

Bengalureans were greeted with ‘No Cash’ boards at most ATMs on Monday. “It seems bankers are not loading money in ATMs, especially during long weekends and holidays. On Monday, I visited seven ATMs at Jayanagar and Banashankari, a mix of both public sector and private banks, only to see the ‘No Cash’ boards everywhere,” says R Mahesh, a customer.

Another customer L Rajesh  said, “After walking a long distance from my parked car to an ATM, I was told by the guard that there was no cash. Bank officials must educate the guards to display ‘No cash’ boards outside the bank. I wasted my time and energy.”

A public sector bank official said on condition of anonymity, “The cash crunch at the ATMs occurred owing to consecutive holidays on second Saturday and Sunday. We cannot load money on Monday since we need it for walk-in customers. However, on Monday evening, our third party agency refilled the ATM caskets.”

A retired banker blamed officials in charge of ATMs. He said, “One cannot run away from responsibilities. When they know that second Saturday is a closed holiday followed by Sunday, they should have taken precautions and ensured that ATMs are loaded. Why should a customer waste energy and time to withdraw money?”

At many places, motorists slowed down near ATMs to check whether the machines are working. “Just when we thought demonetisation difficulties were over and we could withdraw cash whenever we wanted, we were surprised by the shortage. We hope bank officials check the ATMs and ensure that there is enough cash,” said MBA student S Vijay.