TURA: The Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) has raised concern regarding the unavailability of different denomination notes in State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs in Tura in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district.
ACHIK has submitted a complaint to the Lead Bank Officer of SBI in this regard.
“This situation has caused considerable inconvenience to the public and raises serious questions about the operational integrity of the bank. On several occasions, the organization has found, experienced and has been informed by fellow customers of the absence of lower denomination notes such as Rs 10, Rs 100, and Rs 200 in the ATMs. This forces customers to withdraw larger denominations, which is impractical for everyday transactions and leads to an unnecessary financial burden on the public,” ACHIK said.
ACHIK warned of inflation risk due to the unavailability of lower denomination notes in the financial institutions.
The ACHIK said there is a strict RBI directive mandating all banks to recalibrate their ATMs to dispense smaller denominations. Despite this guideline, many ATMs in Tura are yet to comply.
“The persistent nature of this problem points to a systemic issue that may suggest an underlying malpractice within the bank’s operations. In the context of banking and public trust, such actions, if found to be deliberate, could be tantamount to corruption,” it said.
The organization further cited the Supreme Court’s rulings in Manoj Kumar Mishra vs CBI and Opto Circuit India Ltd vs Axis Bank & Ors, drawing a parallel to the current issue of ATM irregularities in Tura.
“Given the severity of the situation and the potential legal implications, we urge the bank to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and take immediate corrective action to ensure that ATMs are stocked with a full range of currency notes at all times,” the ACHIK said in its complaint.
