In 3 Weeks Since Notes Ban, Bank In Rural UP Received Cash Only On 7 Days

Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh: It's barely 11:30 in the morning and the day has already become challenging for Arun Kumar Gupta, chief cashier at the Gramin Bank of Aryavrat, one of the biggest rural banks in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district.

NDTV had last met Mr Gupta at this bank in Zaidpur village in Barabanki district on November 11, three days after the currency ban was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was hopeful about the situation improving soon. But since then, the bank has received money only on seven days.

"We have had problems since the day these old notes were banned. We don't know what to do," Mr Gupta said.

At another desk in the same bank, Assistant Manager Ghanshyam Sharma said that the bank has received only Rs 2 lakh each time, and that too in Rs 2,000 notes. The amount is not enough for the hundreds of people, mostly farmers, queuing up at the bank every day.

"We need more cash immediately so that we don't have to turn away so many people daily," Mr Sharma said.

After eight days of failed attempts to withdraw money from this bank, school teacher Jageshwar Prasad has decided to shift to another bank, in the hope that withdrawing money will be easier. 

"It's a good step by the government, but the implementation is extremely shoddy," Mr Prasad said.

Anita Devi got Rs 2,000 from the bank eight days ago. She came back to withdraw more money each day since then, only to go home empty handed. Anita Devi needs money to take her eight-month-old son to the doctor.

"I spend two hours here each day and then they ask us to leave and lock the shutters. I have told them about my child, the say 'what can we do?'" said the worried mother. 

With the government pushing farmers and the rural population to open bank accounts in the wake of the currency ban, the situation at this bank in rural Uttar Pradesh, however, has not improved even after 20 days since the cash ban was announced.