In what may seem like a flashback of the note-ban days of 2016, automated teller machines (ATM) in many parts of the country are facing a cash crunch. ATMs in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, and Delhi are running dry, leaving customers stranded.
#MadhyaPradesh: People in Bhopal say ‘We are facing a cash crunch. ATMs are not dispensing cash. The situation has been the same since 15 days. We have visited several ATMs today as well, to no avail.’ pic.twitter.com/VwtR3s7flL
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2018
People in Delhi say ‘We are facing cash crunch. Most of the ATMs are not dispensing cash, the ones which are dispensing, have only Rs 500 notes. We are facing difficulty, don’t know what to do’. pic.twitter.com/zZoeEfOwjk
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2018
Vadodara: People complain of inconvenience due to lack of currency in ATMs; say, ‘most of the ATMs were out of service, could only withdraw Rs 10,000 from one working ATM that also after spending a lot of time in the queue’ #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/ZkbGCc4j4f
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2018
The government has taken note of the situation and has blamed the issue of disparity. “Some states have less currency and the others have more. The government has formed state-wise committee and the RBI has also formed a committee to transfer currency from one state to another. In two-three days, this problem will be resolved,” Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla told ANI.
Even Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took to Twitter to quell rumours and assure the nation that the situation will be tackled soon.
He tweeted:
Have reviewed the currency situation in the country. Over all there is more than adequate currency in circulation and also available with the Banks. The temporary shortage caused by ‘sudden and unusual increase’ in some areas is being tackled quickly.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) April 17, 2018
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has tweeted the thought going through everyone’s minds right now. Could this be another demonetisation debacle?
Seeing reports of ATMs running out of cash in several States. Big notes missing. Reminder of #DeMonetisation days. Is there a Financial Emergency going on in the country? #CashCrunch #CashlessATMs
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 17, 2018
Soon, Twitter users started making jokes about the cash crunch because, let’s face it, any time the ATM machine says “temporarily out of service”, memories of standing in serpentine queues outside banks and ATMs haunt us.
RBI is so busy in counting the old notes that they forgot to print the new ones
— TheWhiteWalker (@Tauseef12356591) April 17, 2018
Wait for the cash to come from Sweden!
— Ayan Chakraborty (@ayanc_99) April 17, 2018
Govt just confirmed that there is no #CashCrunch in ATMs in many states.
People are queuing to get into the Air Conditioned ATMs in this scotching heat.
— Jet Lee(Vasooli Bhai) (@Vishj05) April 17, 2018
Of course, it’s temporary. Only one more year left. #CashCrunch https://t.co/G47AqXyrq4
— Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) April 17, 2018
