People run out of patience as banks run out of notes in Uttar Pradesh

TNN, Dec 1, 2016, Noida: Traffic blockades, stone pelting and violence reflected the growing impatience among population in Uttar Pradesh as banks once again could not dispense cash on Wednesday. 

In Meerut, customers resorted to violence when a Syndicate Bank branch announced it was left with no cash to dispense. 

The protesters burnt an effigy of PM Narendra Modi and indulged in stone pelting. Police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. In Agra too, police had to use lathis to scatter an angry crowd outside a branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce. 

In Doghat village of Baghpat district, bank officials had to run out of the branch building and take refuge in a local police station instead of opening the branch after they realized that the crowd outside had turned aggressive after standing in long queue. 

In Pilibhit, farmers and other residents staged a dharna outside the BoB branches. In the past week, a shortage of cash had forced banks to ration withdrawals and down shutters as supply of banknotes failed to keep up with demand. 

The situation in suburban areas was even worse where several bank branches have been rationing cash in their bid to cater to a larger number of people. 

PTI, DNA, 1 Dec 2016: Upset over the lack of money at banks even after 22 days of demonetization, villagers at Bilaspur on Wednesday blocked the Noida-Sikandrabad road, affecting traffic for more than an hour.

Reportedly the banks at Mandi Shyam Nagar in Dankaur displayed a 'no cash' notice and when the villagers reached there they were left agitated.

Locals said the villagers then closed the banks' gates from outside and held protest even as some of them blocked traffic on the Noida-Sikandrabad road.

For one and half hour traffic was affected. Senior police officers reached site and pacified the villagers after which the blockade was lifted.

"For the last three days I have been visiting the bank to withdraw Rs 2,000 but am unable to get the money. Banks claim they are not getting cash. The ATMs too are without cash," said one of the villagers, Dharam Bhati.

Another villager, Raje, alleged, "Bank officials give money to their known persons out of turn while the common man after standing in queue for hours was told there was no cash and was sent back."

At Udyog Bandhu meeting held today at DM camp office in Noida, some industrialists raised the problems emerging due to demonetization before the district magistrate N P Singh.

"Small industries' production was affected. Though the government has allowed withdrawal of Rs 50,000 from current accounts but bank officials are refusing such withdrawals, saying there was no cash at banks," they claimed.