Anger spills on to city streets
The first payday since the demonetisation led to protests, clashes and attacks on bank staff in Hyderabad.
On Thursday, as there was no separate queue lines being maintained at many branches for pensioners and government employees, they lined up to withdraw parts of their salary / pension along with other citizens and were stuck in queues for hours.
Many parts of the city, including the IT Corridor and Telangana state Secretariat, witnessed cash-strapped people queuing up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw money. Despite standing in line for hours, many had not succeeded in withdrawing money as many banks had run out of cash within the first hour. The exasperated public put up roadblocks and protests at Saroornagar, Santhoshnagar, Malakpet, Dilsukhnagar, Saleemna-gar near Moosarambagh and a few parts of Old City.
The first payday since demonetisation led to protests, clashes and attacks on bank staff in the city. Bankers said that some people attacked a bank manager in Malakpet.
Malakpet ACP Ch. Sudhakar said that no such incident has been reported with Malakpet police.
Public anger was on show at banks like ICICI Bank at Shivam Road, SBH at Chandrayangutta, SBI at Moosarambagh and Secunderabad, etc as they announced that only less than `4,000 would be given as cash. Customers at ICICI Bank Shivam Road argued with the staff angrily.
All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) general secretary Ch. Venkatachalam said that there was an acute shortage of cash at banks and at ATMs and bankers had only 25 per cent cash.
AIBEA secretary B.S. Rambabu said that the customers who lost their patience began abusing bank staff. “Bankers are not getting sufficient cash and we urged the IBA to make necessary arrangements in the view of payday,” he said.
South Zone DCP V. Satyanarayana said that there was no complaint received from bankers on attacks.
“At a few places angry bank customers held protests and we have convinced them to withdraw the protest,” he said.