Picture used for representative purpose only
The cash crunch got worse for residents in Gurgaon following pay day with everyone queuing up to withdraw salaries.
While some returned empty-handed, some were able to get some cash, which was not enough to meet their needs. Many banks had also decreased the withdrawal limit, which made things even more difficult. Several residents, including pensioners, complained that they were offered Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 by bank officials, irrespective of the amount sought by them.
Ramesh Chandra, a pensioner, said that people were feeling harassed, especially senior citizens. “The step taken by the prime minister is appreciable, but it has not been implemented properly. Special arrangements should have been made for senior citizens. It’s difficult for us to stand in long queues all day,” he said.
Most senior citizens had hoped that things would get better in December.
Meanwhile, several local NGOs, on December 2, deployed volunteers at banks to assist the elderly and the underprivileged in filling forms and other operations.
For some residents, transactions that had to be made in cash put them in a fix. Manoj Mittal, a Gurgaon resident who works for an MNC, said that he had to pay his house rent on December 2 and his landlord had asked him to pay in cash. “I don’t have a penny in my hand. I usually commute by auto rickshaws. How am I supposed to pay them? Not everyone is familiar with Paytm. Is this digitalisation or harassment?”
