THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first Pay Day in December after the Centre’s demonetisation drive proceeded smoothly in Kerala, except for some treasuries running out of cash and the opening hour rush at treasuries. Precautionary steps like opening additional counters and extending working hours at the 222 treasuries across the state yielded positive results. Meanwhile, in many treasuries sufficient funds were not received from banks in the initial hours. Of the 222 treasuries, 42 were dry by afternoon.
At 20 odd treasuries, funds were arranged only by noon. Some treasuries, including one at Nedumnagad in Thiruvananthapuram, imposed restrictions on withdrawal limits citing insufficient funds. However, the government later instructed treasuries not to impose such curbs and allow customers to withdraw up to Rs 24,000 from treasury savings accounts. Since core banking was enabled in treasuries, one could withdraw money from any branch. Though most treasuries witnessed rush in the initial hours, things were back to normal within an hour or two.
“We opened three more counters to decrease the waiting time,” said Thiruvananthapuram district treasury officer N.R. Niroopa Devi. It was fear that drove many to rush to treasuries early in morning. “I feared the money will be over and have to wait for some days for pension. Hence I reached by 10 am from Nemom to get pension,” said Sadasivaan, a retired Secretariat staffer. Anticipating chances of tension, treasury authorities had sought police protection at all treasuries. But no untoward incident was reported from any treasuries.
