ATMs a test of 'intelligence'

LUCKNOW: The sleuths of Intelligence department are in a hunt of different kind. If you find any plain clothed man stranded outside State Bank of India's Automated teller machines, staring at you silently and watching your movements with peculiar interest, don't be surprised if he turns out be a constable or even a senior official from the State Intelligence wing.
The reason which brings them there is just as surprising. Ram Kumar (name changed on request), who is on an out-station posting and has put down seventeen years of work with the department, reports to Lucknow head quarters in the last week of every month only to collect his salary.
He was seen standing next to an SBI ATM in the heart of the city at an odd hour in the night, keenly observing people who had assembled to withdraw money.
After some time when he had gathered enough confidence, Kumar coyly asked the person to help him out to draw money from the counter.
Beginning this month, the intelligence department in coordination with the public sector State Bank of India has switched the payment mode to its employees from the good old 'revenue receipt' attested payment vouchers to bank salary accounts and has supplied all individuals with ATM cards.
The motto behind the move was novel. The department wanted to save time of its employees who need not queue up any longer to get their salaries.
However, to its dismay it is now finding that most of their staff are ill equipped to operate an ATM properly. There are almost five thousand personnel with the intelligence department, majority of whom are at lower ranks.
The minimum qualification required to enter the department is Intermediate. However this does not take into account the learning curve which is essential to understand the changing technology and hence ATM is turning to be 'Automated trouble maker' for them.
When contacted by The Times of India many of the lower ranked officials, on condition of anonymity, proclaimed that this step by the department has only increased their woes."
Earlier we used to have ready cash in hand but now we are dependent upon a stupid card and the trust of fellow bankers.
We feel so handicapped in front of the touch screen panels that we even share the Personal Identification Number (PIN) with our confidant in order to withdraw money.
However, our biggest fear is that in this era of electronic duping, we are most vulnerable to be fooled. Since many of us are on out-station postings, our families residing in up-country, have to know how to fill the withdrawal form if ATM facility is not available in the vicinity.
This sometimes becomes very difficult as our wives in most cases are illiterate," they lamented.