More than a month has passed since demonetisation, but there seems to be no end to the public's woes. People are still standing in endless queues, their faces often dejected — either as a result of the long wait, or from not being able to withdraw the required sum. So what's the ground reality in Dwarka?
Resident complaints
"Just the other day, I went to the PNB bank to withdraw Rs 24,000. To my surprise, the bank said I could withdraw only Rs 10,000. Being a senior citizen, it isn't easy for me to stand in a queue all day long. It is a ridiculous situation. I cannot withdraw my own money. Both my husband and son queued up at their respective banks. ICICI Bank allowed my husband to allow only Rs 4,000. By the time my son's turn came, the HDFC bank officals informed that they were out of cash."
-Promila Malik, cultural secretary of Jagran Apartments in Sector 22 and additional secretary of Association of Neighbourhood Ladies Get Together (ANHLGT)
"I had to make seven rounds of the bank to withdraw enough cash to pay my employees. In addition to the cash crunch, the attitude with which bank officials, especially public sector ones, are treating customers is appalling. They have made their own rules and are imposing them on us. I just wanted Rs 10,000 from my current account but they didn't even allow me to withdraw that much. The cash shortage, mixed with bad attitude from the bankers, has made the situation quite chaotic. The bank management should ponder over the matter and find some sort of a reasonable solution."
Arvind Rudra, an entrepreneur, environmental activist and former general-secretary of RWA, Harmony Apartments in Sector 4
Bankers' defence
"What can we do? We are not receiving enough cash to let everyone withdraw Rs 24,000. We are asking them to withdraw smaller sums to ensure everybody gets something. Unless the bank starts receiving sufficient cash, the situation will continue to remain the same."
-ICICI employee (on the condition of anonimity)
