Core banking helps ease rush hour at Kerala banks
The cash in most ATMs depleted by afternoon.
KOCHI: The currency crisis on ‘salary day’ ended in the state without any major problems for people who visited banks on Thursday. Most of the banks, except those maintaining pension accounts, witnessed normal rush during the day in Thiruvananathapuram. Private firms maintaining salary accounts of employees also credited salaries to the accounts of employees.
“Private firms don’t have a uniform salary date. Hence, the rush for withdrawals may get staggered. Moreover, almost all banks are now having core banking facility and hence one could withdraw from any branches of the bank in which his salary account is maintained,” said a manager of PSU bank in the city. The bank branches in Ernakulam did not witness any extraordinary rush on account of the first day of the month considered as salary day for employees.
The only problem was people sulking over the lack of small denomination currency notes, said a banker. The cash in most ATMs depleted by afternoon, said P. Vinodkumar, a city dweller. “I tried to withdraw money at four different ATMs on Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road around 4 pm and none of them had any cash,” he added. Banks in Kozhikode also not experience any major rush by customers on account of the salary day. Bank branches did not see the kind of crowds seen in state treasury offices, said a customer.