ATM cash crunch plagues Tura citizens
TURA: Ecstatic with its recent success at getting recognition as a national party in the country, the National People’s Party of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is organising a five day training programme for its elected legislators at the prestigious Oxford University in London, England, early next week.
“The NPP has organised this training and exposure trip for the MLAs of the party which will include lectures and a training programme. A total of 12 MLAs which includes 10 from our state and two from Arunachal who are bearing the trip expenses themselves will be leaving for England,” informed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma while speaking to The Shillong Times.
The chief minister clarified that the cost of travel and stay will be borne by each individual legislator and none of the ministers from the state will be taking part.
“Our cabinet ministers will remain in station throughout the Durga Puja celebrations,” informed the chief minister who will head to Oxford for the last two days of the programme.
ATM cash crunch in Tura: In the face of frequent disruption of cash transactions across the ATM kiosks of the State Bank of India in Tura, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has apprised the Reserve Bank of India obout the burning problem.
On Wednesday, ATMs across Tura town went dry and the banks failed to address the problem throughout the day as hundreds of customers went from one kiosk to another without being able to withdraw any money.
“We have informed the Reserve Bank to resolve the issue of money shortage in ATMs at the earliest,” said the chief minister.
Despite Tura having over 22 ATM kiosks, a majority of them belonging to the SBI, customers had a harrowing time trying to withdraw cash. On the eve of the Durga Puja celebration and the holiday season, thousands of people were left stranded and unable to withdraw cash despite having money in their accounts.
To make matters worse, there was no response from the banking officials about the problem.
While the SBI has become infamous for leaving its ATMs open without cash, a private bank in Tura, Axis Bank in Hawakhana, has also earned the ‘distinction’ of operating an ATM which closes down every night for the past couple of years.