ATM out of order for 9 months, tourists face cash crunch in Kaza

SHIMLA: At a time when the Narendra Modi government is going all out to promote digital India and online cash transactions, tourists visiting Kaza valley in the remote district of Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti are facing inconvenience with the two ATMs located at a height of 11,980 feet defunct for months.

Local residents say they have been doing without the services of the two ATMs but tourists, who arrive between May and September, are finding it difficult to make do without the cash dispensers. The town’s State Bank of India (SBI) ATM has been out of order for nine months, while the other belonging to Kangra Central Cooperative Bank has been closed for four months.

Dev Raj, posted at the state’s tourist information centre here, says the two ATMs in Kaza rarely work. “Tourists from across the world have one grievance and that is the defunct ATM. Even I had to travel to Tabo and withdraw money from the ATM,” he says.

Bank officials blame winter and tough topography for poor maintenance of the ATMs but have no explanation when told about SBI ATM working at Tabo, 50 km from Kaza. Sometimes residents of this town with a population of about 2,000 go all the way to Tabo to withdraw cash.

“Tourists are worst hit. They manage by borrowing from local residents,” says Lara Tsering, a tour operator. Local resident Tsering Bodh says shops in Kaza prefer cash but with ATMs shut, tourists find it difficult to make purchases.

Himanshu Chaudhary, a tourist from Delhi says, “This ATM was out of order last time too. I transferred money to account of a travel agent and borrowed cash from him.”

SBI assistant general manager KL Mahajan said ATM at Kaza is an old one. He said a private company responsible for maintaining it has been told to replace it. “In winter, belts of ATM machines get cracked due to low temperature,” he said.