Demonetisation hits villages, tehsils: Handful of banks and limited staff, rural areas feel the pinch

On an average, the number of customers visiting the bank daily, since November 9, ranges between 600 to 700. “There is just one counter and the lone cashier caters to all the customers. The transactions take time and our customers get impatient… The cash amount for exchange reaches us at noon everyday and it gets over within three hours,” said bank manager Kumar Kshirsagar.

Velhe Block has 138 villages, with a population of 56,000, according to the 2011 census. It has only four banks to cater to the financial needs of 56,000 customers. These banks are located in the villages of Velhe, Ambavane, Panshet and Vinjar.

The State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) branch in Ambavane village of Velhe Tehsil has not had a security guard since May 2016. While the bank has managed to operate without a guard so far, with an increasingly heavy rush of customers and a larger amount of cash to deal with, it is really feeling the absence of one now.

On November 12, the bank witnessed an unsuccessful theft attempt. “We have informed our seniors about the incident and sought a security guard as soon as possible,” said the manager.

Sunita Gaikwad, one of the co-ordinators of Jnana Prabodhini, an NGO that works in Velhe Block, said, “The primary source of income of most villagers is agriculture. Most of the villagers can’t even fill up bank forms.”

The branch also has only one cashier to cater to the 300-odd customers who visit the bank every day. “Other staff members help the customers fill up forms in order to save time,” said a SBI official. At the BoM’s Vinjar branch, there are only three staffers — a cashier, a manager and a sweeper. Though it’s a smaller branch compared to the one in Velhe, it receives over 100 customers daily.

The manager of the branch, Kharat Haridas Gautam, said the bank needs at least one more staffer. Gautam, who also pitches in as a cashier, said, “We are managing the work between the two of us. Sometimes, educated persons from the area volunteer to help customers fill up the forms,” said the manager.

The SBI branch in Ambavane has started giving water and biscuits to customers. “They have to stand for hours… this is the least we can do for them,” said a staffer.