the goan I network
VASCO
Huge queues were seen at all banks as customers were desperate to deposit their old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes and withdraw cash in other denominations.
As the morning progressed, most banks ran out of cash and many customers who had gone to withdraw had to return home empty-handed. The closure of ATMs for the second consecutive day also added to the problems of those who were in dire need of money.
In a bid to maintain law and order, Vasco police dispatched patrol teams all over the city but no untoward incident was reported in the port town.
Ivy Menezes from New Vaddem, who had gone to withdraw cash from a public sector bank, had to go back empty-handed as her bank ran out of cash. “The sudden decision of the ban has caught the people off-guard. Whatever little cash we had got exhausted. Adding to our woes, banks also failed to stock sufficient cash in their strong rooms and as a result, many like myself had to go back empty-handed,” said Menezes.
Another woman, Sandra Pereira, from Mangor-Vasco, said she had borrowed money from her neighbours and had promised to pay them back, after being informed that cash would be available in the banks on Thursday. “I had to stand in a queue almost for one-and-half hour and when I finally reached the cash counter, the cashier informed me that there was no cash.”
“This is nothing but harassment to the common man while the real culprits are enjoying even after the ban,” added Pereira.
Prashant Naik of Vaddem who had come to exchange his old currency notes also faced a similar experience.
“The bank informed me that they could not exchange the old notes as they were yet to receive the new notes. People are facing many hardships in exchanging the old notes and withdrawing money,” said Naik.
