New Delhi: Disappointment, anger and helplessness continued to hang in the air on the third day of payday in the city on Saturday morning. The salaried class and households anxiously awaited their turn outside banks and ATM kiosks. To add to their misery, people who were waiting in line for hours to withdraw cash from the Green Park branch ATM kiosk of Central Bank of India, alleged that the officials who had come to fill the cash in the machine abused the privilege of having an access to the ATM and withdrew money using 8-10 cards. For Amit (name changed), who works in the National Stock Exchange office in Green Park, is not new to come across a situation like this. He alleged that it’s a routine for the officials — who claim that they have come to fill the cash — withdraw money first and then make it accessible for public.
“It’s a common phenomenon here. As people stand in queue to withdraw cash, a group of four to five persons enter the ATM kiosks on the pretext of filling cash. They then draw shutters and withdraw cash.”
Another resident of Hauz Khas, who had come to withdraw cash, aired similar complains. Mukesh, who claimed that this has been continuing for the last few days, claimed: “As the news about the ATM dispensing cash spread, people queue up to withdraw money. But, we only get to use the machine after the officials who come to fill it swipe as many as 5 to 6 cards, withdraw cash, and only then open the shutters for us.”
When this correspondent questioned the officials of withdrawing cash and causing inconvenience to public, they refuted the claims and said, “The ATM machine had developed a technical problem due to which it took long for us to rectify it. Now, it is functioning properly and people can withdraw cash,” said one of the officials, who refused to be named and walked out hurriedly.
The story was no different in areas like Paharganj where the crowd had swelled to withdraw cash but they had to wait for their turn as the men in khaki uniforms were allegedly swiping their debit cards to withdraw cash. “I have been waiting in the queue for almost 40 minutes to withdraw cash. Today being a holiday for me, I thought the volume might have dipped and I will be able to withdraw money. But, as the cash van came and cash security officials entered the ATM kiosk to fill the cash, an on-duty police constable barged inside the ATM kiosk and withdrew cash while people queued in line continued to await their turn,” pointed Akash Gupta, who works in a multinational in Noida.
