Technology is meant to make human life easier. Here in Ranchi, it is playing a reverse role.
Self-help kiosks at banks, where people can independently deposit cash/cheque or update their accounts, are lying defunct and neglected in these desperate times, compelling citizens to stand in never-ending queues for jobs that could have otherwise been done without batting an eyelid.
The SBI branch in Harmu boasts three of the automated self kiosks, but none of them is functioning properly, allege bank customers.
"Your passbook gets trapped in these machine if you try to print an update. Amid all this currency chaos, a torn bank passbook is the last thing your would want. So, it is better to wait a few hours in queue it seems," said Rajeev Kumar, who coaches candidates for medical entrance examinations.
At Allahabad Bank in the area, another three self-help machines are lying defunct.
"I only needed to update my passbook and could have easily printed it at the self kiosks, but none seems to be working. Bank officials, caught up in counting hefty cash being deposited, didn't have time to help me when I reached the counter after a long queue. I have to come back again," said Manoj Kumar who runs a cosmetics store in Harmu.
Bank of India's Sahajanand Chowk branch was guilty of similar negligence as account holder Uday Kumar Chouhan struggled in vain to update his passbook. Chaos mounted and bank manager Tausif Ahmed had to intervene.
"There seems to be a problem in the server. You give us your passbook at the counter for update," Ahmed was overheard telling Chouhan.
Service manager of SBI S.K. Das conceded the problems people were facing, but insisted that engineers had already been summoned for repairs.
"There is some technical snag in the machines. Owing to crowd pressure, proper attention could not be given so far. Engineers have been called today (Monday). The machines should be up and running in the next few days," Das said.
Allahabad Bank service manager Damodar Sinku echoed his SBI counterpart. "Engineers are expected soon. We hope the machines will be in order in a day or two."
The cash crisis meanwhile continued at many banks on Monday.
Construction company employee Ajay Kumar, who has a current account with the IDBI branch in Ashok Nagar, said at 2pm that he was waiting for over an hour to withdraw money. "We need cash for labour wages, but the bank is delaying payment," he added.
Suraj Kumar, a senior official of the bank's loan section, conceded a crisis. "We are trying to offer services to maximum number of customers with limited cash. So, the waiting period is long," he said.
Money in car
Two men from Ranchi, driving to Calcutta with Rs 25 lakh in abolished notes, were detained at Sector XI in Bokaro on Tuesday. DSP Ajay Kumar said Moin Khan and R.K. Datta, both in their thirties, were being interrogated.
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