Many citizens queued up again to withdraw their salary; BJP is on a spree of making roads cashless, starting with FC Road
Pune: The shortage of notes has hit Pune as well, and people are struggling with payment issues. However, the Pune district collector said he and his counterparts will be looking into the matter.
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“We know there is a shortage of notes and there have been technical errors in banks. In Pune city around Rs 2,400 crore notes are required in a month but only Rs 950 crore notes were distributed. On Wednesday Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a word with Reserve Bank of India officials, and we collectors of every district will be monitoring the amount that State Bank of India gets, and its bifurcation,” said Saurabh Rao, collector of Pune district.
Slow bank employees
However, until that happens, citizens in Pune city also queued up like others in the country before banks yesterday, on pay day. Many of the citizens claimed that the bank servers and computers were delaying their payment.
A techie, Sandesh Dalvi said, “It’s the day of salary. I cannot give a cheque or transfer money to my maid, or bus driver who plies my child to school and for society maintenance. I took half day leave to stand in queue, but later I noticed the bank employees were slow, and it seems that the servers of banks are also slow.”
BJP’s cashless drive
The BJP has begun a drive to make commercial establishments cashless. Yesterday one of the most popular and youth-centric areas in the city, Fergusson College Road was made cashless. But there was a mixed response to it as citizens had to struggle to shop, and many had to make minimum bills of Rs 150. Hotels, stationary and cosmetic shops used card swipe machines.
Mahesh Shinde a shopkeeper said, “I have procured a card swipe machine but citizens are shopping for nail polish and cosmetics etc in the range from Rs 20 to 100. This does not benefit me.”
BJP also plans to make Laxmi Road which is considered a major shopping destination during festive and marriage season, cashless. The shopkeepers and hawkers have been given swipe card machines by BJP’s Business Cell.
BJP speak
BJP spokesperson Yogesh Gogawale said, “This is just the beginning and we all learn from trial and error. Soon after making FC Road cashless successfully, we will concentrate on Laxmi Road and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Bhaji Mandai area where wholesale farmers sell vegetables to citizens. We are having meetings with them and the grocery store owners are also being given card swipe machines.”