On the eighth day today since the Centre announced demonetisation of high-value currencies, the same picture of winding queues in front of the banks and ATMs unfolded as the day wore on, with some bank branches unable to dispense cash to customers.
Several bank branches at the central business district of Dalhousie in the city were only accepting deposits, but were unable to give away cash, going dry soon after opening in the morning.
"I stood in the queue for over two hours, only to be told by a bank official that reserves of currency notes at the branch have dried up," said Manik Sanyal, as he along with several others left the queue only to look for another bank where cash was still available.
Logistical issues are also adding up to the problem as ATMs which are going dry soon after filling up are being refilled only after several hours.
"Refilling of an ATM depends on the cash provided by a bank and the indent given by it. It all depends on the availability of cash," Jayshankar Majumdar, HR head of cash management company CMS Infosystems Ltd told PTI.
"We have more than 100 vehicles operating within Kolkata and staff, including security staff and drivers are working round the clock to tide with the present situation," he said.
"The pressure for refilling of ATMs are very high and given the number of vehicles and security personnel that we have for refilling, we are finding it difficult to cope with the unusual situation," an official with cash management system company Brinks Arya, which has around 35 vehicles, said.
With Rs two lakhs in 100-rupee notes being filled at one go in ATMs which are yet to be recalibrated, these are going dry with only 100 people withdrawing Rs 2000 each with one card, even as serpentine queues form as soon as word spread that ATMs were replenished with money.
There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the metropolis.
"There are long queues, at some places people are getting restless, but apart from that there has been no untoward incident," an official of the Kolkata Police said.
People of low and medium income groups in general have welcomed the move despite weathering the hardship.
"I am facing problems with lesser number of passengers and also availability of cash, but this is a good move to bring out black money of some rich people," said Manoj Shaw, a taxi driver, who has been driving the ubiquitous yellow cab in the city for 17 years.
"I am a salaried person and I have to file income tax return for each paisa I earn every year; now it is the turn of those who don't," Chiradeep Sinha, an IT professional, said gleefully despite having stood in queue for a long time at an ATM counter to withdraw Rs 2,000.
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A report from Jalpaiguri said the postal department sent a mobile van to Saraswatipur tea garden in the north Bengal district so that people of interior areas can change their old currency notes and also deposit money.
Senior superintendent of Jalpaiguri Head Post Office, Neetu said the van was sent on an experimental basis and similar effort will be undertaken if people find it useful.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged against an LPG dealer in Jalpaiguri town for not accepting Rs 10 coins, police said.
On receiving a complaint that the dealer refused to take Rs 80 in coins of Rs 10 denomination for an LPG cylinder the FIR was registered, they said.
District Magistrate Mukta Arya said, "We will find out why the rumour about fake Rs 10 coins is being spread and will take necessary steps."
There are complaints of Rs 10 coins not being accepted also at Siliguri, Mal, Binnaguri, Dhupguri and Moynaguri.
