Note ban blues for bank staff in Bengaluru
Having worked for two weeks straight, bank employees are feeling the strain.
Bengaluru: After the currency demonetisation and the following cash crunch, bankers are working overtime to cope with the public demand. Having worked for two weeks straight, bank employees are feeling the strain.
A Punjab National Bank Branch manager told DC, “We have been working till about 11 pm each day, disbursing cash. We have put our regular lives on hold and are working like dogs.”
And for what, he asks? “A meagre compensation is provided, but we are working for days without leave. Family life has taken a hit.”
To top it all off, bank officials have to face irate crowds demanding money. “People are creating a ruckus day after day. On Thursday we just got Rs 20 lakh in cash, that too in Rs 2,000 denominations.”
“Imagine how angry people were, there was shouting all over,” he said and pointed to his officer-in-charge of the floor. The officer-in-charge grunts with anger, “The RBI keeps claiming that they have printed and issued currency notes and that the situation should ease. But where is the money? All we got today was Rs 20 lakh in Rs 2000 notes. No 50s, 10s, 100s, nothing! The people are cursing us. We are in the line of fire. We face the public’s fury,” he added.
A State Bank of Travancore official said, “Currency keeps running out and is not replenished as regularly as needed. Although we nationalised banks are in a better position than private banks as we get more from our respective currency chests.”