Villages in Mewat region struggle to meet basic needs

Gopalgarh/Ladamkha (Bharatpur): Forty five-year-old Mohammed Khurshid’s brother had to be hospitalized urgently after doctors in a private hospital in Alwar told him that his brother would have to undergo angioplasty.
He required Rs 2 lakh for the procedure and went to a bank to withdraw the amount with the doctor’s prescription. But, he was denied.
Khurshid said that his brother Mobin (50) had complained of chest pain and respiratory problems in October.The family then took him to a private hospital.
For the past three days after he faced similar problems, the doctors, who had checked him earlier, advised the family to take the patient to Alwar as an angioplasty might be required.
“I am not lying. Anyone can see the prescription slip and other documents from the hospital,” said a desperate Khurshid.
Several others like him in the Mewat region of Bharatpur are facing similar problems where they need more cash than the prescribed limit of Rs 2,000. But banks are in no position to meet the demands.
In far-flung areas in Bharatpur, including Gopalgarh, Pahari, Ladmakha and Danthed, banks are not receiving enough cash to serve customers.
“Though there is a provision to give Rs 2,000 to a person, banks are only giving Rs 1,000. Forget emergencies, we are not even able to fulfill our basic needs,” said Gani Mohammed, former sarpanch of Danthed village, which comes under Pahari tehsil of Bharatpur district.
Locals alleged that banks were actually receiving cash but were giving preference and priority to affluent traders and businessmen in the region.
“Hum khade reh javen hain aur kuch log andar baithkar chai peekar aaram se paisa nikal rahey hain (We remain in queues while some people get tea inside bank and are easily withdrawing the money),” said Shahbhudhin of Ladamkha village of Bharatpur.
Unlike big cities, these villages are getting a meagre amounts and that too every third day. “The allegations made by locals are baseless. The problem is that we are getting less cash and the demand is high. People should understand the problem and cooperate,” said a clerk at the cash counter of a bank at Gopalgarh.