Kurnool:Lack of cash is troubling the public across Rayalaseema, as ATMs in the region have run dry and banks are unable to meet the cash demand. Even though most people with smartphones are able to carry out digital transactions, common people in the Kadapa, Kurnool and Nandyal districts are facing increasing hardships.
A majority of ATMs in these districts are reportedly without cash. Even when cash is available with some of them, it is exhausted before 11 a.m. Customers are often staring at “out of service” messages for the rest of the day, leading to widespread frustration among people.
The impact is particularly severe in rural areas, where many people are still unfamiliar with digital payment systems. They depend heavily on cash withdrawals for daily transactions. Visits to banks offer them little relief, with customers being told that cash is unavailable.
“I went to withdraw money from the ATM and later visited the bank. But they said there is no cash. I do not know how to use digital payments. What are we supposed to do,” asked farmer Chenchu Ramudu from Tuggali in Kurnool district.
There is also a shortage of small denomination currency. Notes of ₹10 and ₹20 are scarcely available in banks, causing inconvenience to thousands who cannot use digital payment platforms, such as PhonePe or Google Pay. There are a few small shops accepting digital payments.
Even those seeking large amounts of cash are facing difficulties. Customers withdrawing ₹5 lakh or more are forced to wait for hours. In some cases, cash is being given only in lower denomination notes.
“I went to the bank to withdraw ₹5 lakh for my daughter’s wedding. They gave me ₹100 notes. When I asked for ₹500 notes, they said there are none. I had no choice,” said C. Damodar Naidu from Nandyal.
Former Canara Bank senior manager R. Suryanarayana stressed the importance of banks maintaining adequate physical cash. “Even in developed countries, at least 40 per cent of transactions are in physical cash. In rural regions like ours, ensuring cash availability is essential to avoid hardship to customers,” he said.
At several mandal headquarters, ATMs have reportedly remained non-functional for months, with shutters down, no maintenance, or cash replenishment. Customers say the presence of ATMs in their areas has become meaningless.
It is estimated that there are around 2,500 ATMs across Rayalaseema. However, lack of proper upkeep and cash loading has rendered many of them ineffective.
However, digital transactions are witnessing rapid growth. In the last financial year, transactions worth ₹5.50 lakh crore have been recorded across Kurnool, Nandyal, Kadapa, Anantapur, and Sri Satya Sai districts. Kurnool topped the list with ₹1.40 lakh crore, followed by Nandyal with ₹1.20 lakh crore.
“Digital transactions are expected to grow further this year,” said B. Sunil Kumar, senior manager at SBI.
There is the prospect of digital payments leading to a rise in cybercrime cases. “Many people without proper awareness are falling prey to cyber fraud while using digital platforms,” a Kurnool divisional police officer said.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
