An ATM counter at Kendrapara that has gone out of order. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, April 17: Thanks to the bankers’ apathy, all the ATM cash withdrawal counters of the State Bank of India (SBI) are not functioning in Kendrapara for the last 72 hours causing major inconvenience to people.

ATMs are there for customers’ convenience with 24x7 withdrawal facility. But the out-of-order cash-withdrawal machines tell a different tale altogether .

“It has become a common affair. The automated cash withdrawal counters are turning out-of-order in most parts of Kendrapara. Complaints have been lodged by the customers. But the bankers seem to have turned a blind eye to customers’ plight,” said a customer.

“The ATM machines have developed technical snags. Besides satellite link failure during periodic intervals is turning them defunct on some occasions. We are trying to set the things right very shortly,” said Sravan Kumar Nihal, chief manager, State Bank of India, Kendrapara.

There are also reports of fraudulent withdrawal of cash from ATM counters despite the officials’ claim that security system in ATMs is fool-proof.

This district headquarters township accounts for nearly a dozen of SBI ATM cash withdrawal counters at strategic traffic locations.

With SBI being the major banker in this part, customers heavily depend on these counters for cash withdrawal. Customers are left dejected after making ‘futile’ rounds of the ATM counters.

“Today being Sunday, the bank counters were closed. There is no Sunday banking provision in this township. Braving scorching heat, I moved about from one counter to the other for withdrawing money. But none of the counters were found operative. I was in urgent need of some money for purchase of essential commodities. Because of defunct ATMs, I was left cashless,” said Niranjan Pattnaik, a local resident.

“As a last resort, I was forced to take a trip to Pattamundai township which is about 20 km from here, to withdraw cash,” he added.