The stress and exhaustion of queuing up in front of banks and ATMs has become part of the daily routine for city residents, 13 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his demonetisation drive, scrapping the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that made up the lion's share (estimates vary from 84 to 86 per cent) of the total currency in circulation in the country.

It has spawned a new way of life, of conversations while waiting for that elusive commodity called cash.

The queues reflect the city, diverse in that they encompass people from all walks of life and of all age groups, but the conversations usually veer around the same topic: Whether the Prime Minister's purported war on black money has benefited or added to the suffering of the common man.

For many, the government decision is autocratic; for others it is a good step marred by bad planning.

Parshuram Mishra, a retired state government employee who was standing at a queue at the Bank of India's R-Block branch, said: "As my account is with this branch, I had to come all the way from Chhapra for withdrawing money."

Mishra had opened the account when he used to work in Patna.

City residents, however, agree that they can still count their blessings - read cash - at the end of a long day of queuing up but the situation in districts and rural areas is worse.

"Few days back I visited the Bank of India branch in Chhapra, but the bank ran out of cash," Mishra said. "The situation at many other banks in Chhapra is similar; there is cash shortage at banks and ATMs are running dry."

Uma Shankar Pandey, who was waiting in line outside the State Bank of India's Raja Bazaar branch, felt the government's clampdown against people with black money is a welcome step but the intent has been lost in the execution and the reality clearly reflects the lack of planning and proper execution.

"We were hopeful that situation would improve after few days, but even after passing of more than 12 days, the queues at banks continue," Pandey said. Others tried to make light of the situation by listening to music - like Bhaskar, a student standing outside the SBI main branch at Gandhi Maidan - or chatting up strangers standing in queue like Bhaskar's friend Amod Ranjan did.

Even when there is cash in a bank, it does not always solve the people's liquidity problems as many ATMs are dispensing Rs 2,000 notes only.

Amit Kumar, a teacher, said: "As many ATMs are giving Rs 2,000 notes only, it will not serve the purpose as most vegetable vendors or grocers are refusing to provide change for Rs 2,000."