Law Kumar Mishra
Patna : Although demonetisation of high denomination currency notes completed one month on Thursday, bank customers are still facing cash crunch. .In rural areas of North Bihar, people can be seen standing in queues even in midnights to get cash from the ATMs, which are located 5 to 6 km from their villages. It may sound unbelievable, but it is true. Some women come to the ATMs with their infants on their laps even in winter nights.
In Madehpura, a North Bihar district, women even come in groups from different villages and sit in queues outside an ATM at
Udhakishunganj. They brring quilts with them to beat chilly winter night. One of such groups had come to the ATM at 2 am as they had left their village at midnight. They complained their husbands, who are working in Punjab and Haryana as labourers, have also returned as their employers declared closure in their garment units following demonetisation. A woman from Supaul said she had been coming to the ATM for last three days only to return disappointed as the ATM displayed “no cash” boards within two hours of refilling.
Even in the state capital, there was not much relief after a month of withdrawal of old notes. The “notebandi” has its effect on marriages in Bihar. Marriage season will end next week but the shopping is very poor, according to the businessmen in Khaitan Market and Patna Market, two most popular markets for items used in weddings. Most of the ATMs located on busy commercial areas of Frazer Road, Exhibition Road, Boring Road and Bailey Road were either without cash or had downedd their shutters.
At some places, it has a positive effect in Bihar notorious for dowry demands. Due to cash crunch and fear of the income-tax department, parents are arranging dowryless marriages without pomp and show.
RJD president Lalu Prasad, in a statement, said financial anarchy prevails in the country. The PM had sought 50 days time from people but they have been deceived for the last 30 days, he said. Finance minister, Bihar, Abdul Bari Siddiqui said purchasing power of the people has been crippled due to cash crunch. Reserve Bank of India has revised its regulations 11 times since November 8, he said.
Leader of Congress legislature party Sadanand Singh said even after a month, the government and RBI have failed to give relief to the people. Entire nation is standing in queue for money. He alleged over 100 people have died standing in queues but the government remained ruthless.
At Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, a girl student of a private Teachers Training College allegedly committed suicide on December 8 as her parents could not arrange Rs 30,000 in cash for her admission. College management insisted on cash payment while parents were willing to pay through cheque.