Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 10
While the 50-day waiting period for demonetisation process ended in December 30, problem still persists. It is no exception for the people of Changtongya Town, one of the oldest towns in Nagaland.
The lone ATM in the town has gone kaput along with the old notes putting the citizens in severe hardship. It now merely stands as a decorative structure, town citizens complained.
While the ATM was working intermittently before the demonetisation process, it reportedly stopped working completely after the 50-day waiting period ended.
There are only two banks in the town – Nagaland State Co-operative Bank and State Bank of India (SBI), which opened last year and operates the lone machine.
“We have a funny Cash Deposit Machine not an ATM. I have been able to deposit cash as late as December but withdrawal was out of question due to calibration problem,” said a town citizen.
However, talking to The Morung Express, the Branch Manager of SBI Changtongya said that the facility available in the town was only a Cash Deposit Machine (CDM), also known as Cash recycler – an ATM like machine that allows customer to deposit cash directly into their account using the ATM cum debit card.
The cash that is deposited to the recycler is also the cash that are dispensed from it and the CDM accepts denominations of only Rs. 1000/-, Rs. 500/- & Rs. 100/-.
As per the instruction, when the acceptance of old notes ended, we shut the machine, the manager added.
On November 8, 2016, when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes, 50 days period was given to customers to exchange old notes in banks.
In order to accept and dispense new notes the machine needs recalibrating, he said, adding that since it involves technicalities, few more days is needed to recalibrate the machine.
The higher authority has already been informed about the same and the problem is not restricted to Changtongya alone, the manager further maintained.
Meanwhile, the town citizen felt that with the 67th general session of Ao Student Conference (AKM) slated to be held in Changtongya village from January 18-20, where thousands of students’ delegates and others are expected to congregate, the machine needs urgent recalibration.
