No let-up in rush at banks, ATMs

NEW DELHI: People queuing up outside the banks and ATM kiosks continued to be a common sight in most parts of the national capital on Tuesday — 28th day since the high-denomination notes were demonetised.

Being the commercial hub of the city, Connaught Place has been seeing an unprecedented rush at all its ATMs, with those dispensing cash witnessing long queues.

The ICICI Bank’s branch in ‘A’ Block of Connaught Place could be seen catering to 70-80 customers in the early afternoon. An equal number of people queued up outside the adjoining ATM of the same bank.

A relatively less number of people stood in queues outside the Punjab National Bank (PNB) and the State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs in the same block. The situation was more painful at the PNB’s Nangloi branch, where the desperate-for-cash customers crowded the whole length of the footpath outside the building.

The area, which is not known for any major commercial activity and largely inhabited by the people from lower income groups, witnessed a huge crowd thronging the bank.

The central government’s bid for a cashless, or less-cash, economy also seemed to be falling apart as a customer had to come out of a shop empty handed, since the card swipe machine refused to accept his payment due to “network failure”.