Days after banks in Gujarat said they were not getting enough cash from the Reserve Bank of India, complaints started emerging about ATMs going dry. Complaints started coming in from small towns like Unjha and Jamnagar. Businessmen and farmers are the worst hit as the trading cycle has been affected adversely. Sanjeev (name changed), a resident of Shahibaug complained that he had to withdraw money for buying medicines but could not find money in ATM of SBI, ICICI, Bank of India, Dena Bank, HDFC Bank in Meghaninagar and Shahibaug. Finally he managed some cash from an ATM of Axis Bank. Sagar Rabari, general secretary of Gujarat Khedut Samaj said that he wanted to withdraw Rs10,000 from SBI, but he could not as a number of ATMs of the bank. Khedut Samaj said that it has received complains of shortage of cash in banks and ATMs from Surat, Navsari and Vadodara as well. Recently, Gujarat Urban Cooperative Bank had complained that not enough cash is available form the Reserve Bank of India. Janak Raval, general secretary of Mahagujarat Bank Employees Association (MGBEA) claimed that he has been receiving such complains from across the state and the shortage is restricted to Gujarat, while there are no such complaints from other states. Unjha, in north Gujarat, the largest hub for trading of cumin, isabgul and fennel is also severely hit. Farmers are told to transact cashlessly but are not willing, said office-bearers of local Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee. EXPERT SPEAK Farmers, who sell crops here, want payments in cash. They don’t want to get money deposited in their accounts, as there are no ATMs for about 25 km. In villages, they have to transact in cash. Shortage of cash with traders means farmers are forced to sell crops at lower prices. How will you double farmers’ income in such a situation, asked Gaurang Patel, president, Unjha APMC.

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