A catering staff member serves tea to people in a queue at Gaur Grandeur, Noida
Standing in serpentine queues at banks for hours isn't a joke. However, for those queuing up at banks in Gaur Grandeur, a residential society in Noida’s Sector 119, there is some relief.
A chemist and a catering service owner have come together to serve them tea and soft drinks for free. Sensing the inconvenience faced by people, Sonu Dubey, the owner of Way to Wellness, a pharmaceutical store in the society, has been sponsoring cups of tea and soft drinks for everyone in the queues while the catering staff has been serving theese.
There are branches of three banks – HDFC, ICICI and Indus Bank – in a shopping complex located within the society. People from sectors 119 and 120 standing in queues from 4 am in the morning is a common sight.
People stand in a queue outside HDFC bank in the society
Dubey said, “People start queuing up early in the morning. They have to wait for about five to six hours before banks open at 10 am. Even when they are tired, they can’t leave the queues to rest lest they miss their turn.”
“I have borrowed 50 chairs for them and they are being served tea. They don’t have to pay us but they are requested not to make noise while standing in the queues. Over 700 people come for exchanging old currency notes or for making other transactions. They are all being offered soft drinks in the evenings,” he added.
Meanwhile, residents are also taking advantage of the three banks in the society. If they stood in a queue at one bank on a day, they queue up at another the next day.
Prashant Vats, a person who exchanged old currency notes on November 16 at Indus Bank, was on November 17 standing in a queue at ICICI bank. He said, “The queues are getting longer with every passing day. I have had to stand in a queue for six to seven hours for exchanging Rs 4,000.”
However, some residents say that there is no guarantee that the branches would exchange old notes. Nitish Kumar Singh, who was in a queue at ICICI bank, said that he has been returning without cash for three days. “The moment I entered the bank, the bank manager announced that they had run out of cash.”
Well, at least some good samaratans are making the ordeal a little less bitter.
