Representative graphicTwo days into the Onam vacation, most of the ATMs in Kerala have run out of cash. With shoppers scrambling for money ahead of Onam and Bakrid, the state government has asked the State-Level Bankers’ Committee to take urgent steps to keep the system rolling.
Top bankers have ordered their branches and agencies entrusted to fill up the machines to ensure sufficient supply of money. The government said it had communicated to the controlling officers of all banks and there was no cause of concern.
The State Bank of India has told each branch to put their own employees on the job to fill up the machines on Monday morning.
Most of the ATMs along the national highways dried up by Sunday afternoon. With ATMs run by big public sector banks out of cash across districts, people were queuing up before the centers run by smaller banks. The crisis was caused by the shopping spree ahead of the long vacation which included both Onam and Bakrid.
The bank officials, however, say that the crisis was limited to a few ATMs in the towns. Private agencies responsible for refilling the machines have been asked to make the necessary arrangement in view of the long holidays, they said. They added that they could seek help from the Reserve Bank of India in case the shortage persists.
The banks will only open for business on Thursday. Again, Friday is a holiday.
However, the State Bank of Travancore headquarters has issued orders to branch managers to personally fill up the banks’ ATMs under their limits. Agencies have been asked to ensure enough supply in ATMs not attached to any bank branch.
Thrissur is perhaps the only district unaffected by the shortage of money. Not many complaints have been registered from the district, where many of the banks are based. Almost all banks had already put in place a system to keep their ATMs in Guruvayur well stocked.
Federal Bank officials said that they had made the necessary arrangements to ensure enough supply in the banks’ ATMs. The department in charge of ATMs may work on holidays.
