New Delhi: Most of the ATMs across the country are still running dry after over 100 days of demonetisation even as the RBI on Monday enhanced the weekly withdrawal limit from savings bank accounts to Rs 50,000 per week.
The increase in withdrawal limits could further deteriorate the cash crunch at ATMs for next few days, warned experts. This is contrary to the statement made by the RBI and the finance ministry that normalcy has been restored in the country after the November 8 demonetisation. Even those ATMs which are refilled get empty within hours.
Most of the bankers claim that they have been continuously replenishing their ATMs across the country but footfalls are high at the ATMs. "We are replenishing ATMs on a daily basis but due to high footfalls they are getting empty," said a senior official from a private bank.
India's largest ATM company NCR India, managing director Navroze Dastur said that they have reached 80 per cent of their operations from pre-demonetisation days.
“ATMs may be getting dry due some cash shortage and also people are hoarding money after demonetisation. We expected the situation to reach normalcy by the end of February or the first week of March,” said Mr Dastur.
On November 8, the government decided to withdraw 86 per cent of all currency in circulation by scrapping notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. The value of currency withdrawal was Rs 15.45 lakh crore.
