No relief from long queues on day 3 of cash clean-up
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No relief from long queues on day 3 of cash clean-up

Gurugram: Queues outside banks continue to grow as residents allege that petrol pumps either refuse to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes or sell costlier extra premium fuel.

No relief from long queues on day 3 of cash clean-up People stand in queues at a State Bank of India branch in Gurugram on November 12

On the third day after denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 were invalidated, the number of people standing in queues outside banks in Gurugram didn’t seem to dwindle.

Many residents reached the banks well before the opening time to exchange and withdraw cash on November 12. Farmers from villages had also come as they were not sure if banks in their village would exchange currency. Long queues were the norm at every bank in the city.

Karanpal, a local resident, stood in a queue for three hours. He said, “Despite coming to the bank in early hours, I am still standing in the queue. I took leave from work as one cannot run a household without money.”

Sumit, another resident who was standing in queue at Axis Bank near Sikandarpur, said, "It is a weekend and I am free from office. But I can’t go anywhere without money. As ATMs are out of cash, I have come to the bank to get money.”

Most banks in the city had deployed at least two of employees outside the gate to help people with forms and other instructions. In spite of the arrangements, there were instances of people cutting in lines.

 

People stand in a queue at Oriental Bank of Commerce on Basai Road, Gurugram, on November 12

 

But, it was not just long waiting period at the queues that was a nuisance. Several residents alleged that petrol pumps were not accepting Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. They said that those who were accepting these notes were selling extra premium fuel, which is costlier. They also alleged that pump owners claimed to not have change.

“My scooty’s fuel tank gets full in just Rs 300, but the petrol pump workers did not return the change. They told me to either give them change or pay Rs 500 as they didn’t have change,” said Shikha, a hassled resident.

However, in a press note released by oil companies recently, it was stated that all retail outlets and CNG stations of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Gas Authority of India Limited and other public sector oil companies would accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination currency on purchase of petroleum products till the midnight of November 11.

Gurugram residents had a different story to tell. Inderjeet, a resident who stopped at the Sector 12 petrol pump, said that the employees told him that they would not accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Anil, another resident, alleged that workers at the petrol pump in Sector 14 refused to fill fuel for Rs 200, saying they didn’t have change.