Agartala/Aizawl, Dec 1 (IANS) The crowds at banks and ATMs in Tripura on Thursday, the first salary day after demonetisation, was not as massive as feared by many.
Bank officials in Agartala said a large number of employees withdrew some money in advance from their accounts fearing a huge rush on the first of December.
"We have received and made available in ATMs a reasonable quantity of currencies of different denominations to ease the difficulties of salaried employees," UCO bank official Sekhar Paul told IANS.
Government employees stood in queues at banks and ATMs since early in the morning to withdraw money. Some employees rushed to banks and ATMs after marking their attendance in offices.
The cash crunch continues to be serious in semi-urban, remote and rural areas of northeast India where most banks do not have adequate currency or where ATMs lack notes of various denomination.
Buyer and traders, especially small businessmen, are continuing to facing difficulties due to cash shortage in banks and markets.
A senior official of the Tripura government's Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Amit Roy Chowdhury, said: "We are suffering a lot since the demonetisation."
United Bank of India Chief Regional Manager and Deputy General Manager Mahendra Dohare told IANS: "Bank employees have devoted everything to help customers.
"The situation in the entire northeastern region is gradually improving," Dohare said in Agartala.
In Mizoram, the first consignment of new Rs 500 currency notes along with Rs 100 notes arrived two days back, easing the cash crunch somewhat.
The State Bank of India's Assistant General Manager Pradeep Kumar Sen said in Aizawl: "The new 500 rupee notes are available in banks and ATMs since Wednesday."
