AHMEDABAD: Contrary to the heavy rush anticipated at banks to withdraw salaries, long queues were conspicuously absent at some branches. Paper tokens handed to customers helped bankers shorten long queues. “Tokens for withdrawals on Friday have already been handed out today (Thursday). Those who want to have tokens for the day after tomorrow (Saturday), are requested to come on Friday at 11am,” read a notice at the State Bank of India’s Ranip branch.
Apart from pensioners, some bank branches catered to a limited number of customers, who had tokens. The rest were either given tokens for the next day or those who arrived late in the afternoon were turned away. “Many branch managers took such practical decisions to control the mad rush and ease the burden on branches,” said a banker. This, however, does not mean that all was well with those who had tokens.
Jayshree Shah, a resident of Bopal, says: “At about 9.30 am, I was told to take a token and come back later in the day to get the cash. The bank employee told me not to write anything on the cheque, as they would decide on the withdrawal limit after looking at the availability of cash.