MP Kateel says ATMs to function normally in three days

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 20, 2016: Following a meeting with heads of nationalised, scheduled, private and cooperative banks Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, said here on Nov 19, Saturday, that all the 830 ATMs across Dakshina Kannada are being re-calibrated to dispense currency in combination of Rs. 100 and new Rs. 500 denomination. ATMs and banks across the district would start functioning normally in the next three days,

He requested the people not to panic as banks in the district had a good cash reserve. “This situation will get better as the new Rs. 500 notes will be in circulation in the next three days. Cooperative banks too will start dispensing cash,” he said.

MP Kateel said the problem faced by farmers in repaying the loans taken from cooperative banks using the invalid Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes was common across the country.  “This issue was raised in the Lok Sabha on Nov 18, Friday. I will write to the Finance Ministry and the RBI, Reserve Bank of India  to permit cooperative banks to accept old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 denomination notes for repayment of loans from farmers. This will avoid farmers from becoming defaulters,” he said.

Asked about the refusal of point of service operators to give Rs. 2,000 notes because of transactional charges collected by nationalised banks, District Lead Bank Manager Raghav Yajamanya said that though an announcement had been made to waive transactional charges, an official communication was yet to be issued by the RBI.

MP Kateel asked private hospitals to accept Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes till November 24. “I request them as banks are accepting old notes from hospitals,” he said. District Health Officer Ramakrishna Rao said he had intervened in cases of refusal of invalid notes and had tried to resolve issues amicably.

Dr. Rao said a circular had been issued by Director, Health and Family Welfare, that the order allowing the use of old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes applied only to government hospitals and not private hospitals. “If there is any issue, we have been told to get treatment for the patient at government hospitals,” he said.