Speed Post News Network
New Delhi: Cash dispensing facility became operational at 686 retail outlets by 4 pm on November 18 of which 350 belonged to IOCL, 266 to BPCL and 70 to HPCL. The Public Sector Oil Companies namely Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, in association with State Bank of India, have come forward to ease out some of the challenges facing the common public regarding availability of currencies for day to day transactions post demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
Senior officials of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL, had a meeting with Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairman, State Bank of India, on November 17 and it was decided that an amount up to Rs 2,000 per day per person in cash can be dispensed against swiping of debit card from select petrol pumps where POS machines of SBI are already available. POS machines are the machines generally used for debit or credit card transactions. It has been decided to start this facility at around 2,500 petrol pumps across the country including rural areas, where SBI POS machines are provided. The Oil Industry is also in discussions with SBI and other banks to extend this facility to over 20,000 petrol pumps gradually, said a PIB release.
This facility will be available even after November 24, 2016. It may be mentioned here that petrol pumps have been accepting currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations and will continue to do so till November 24, 2016. There is no shortage of petroleum products at the petrol pumps and consumers can purchase them as per their needs.Consumers have been also advised to use cashless transactions – credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, loyalty programmes etc. for purchase of fuel .