Bhubaneswar: Keeping severe cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ in mind, the state government has directed all the banks to ensure sufficient availability of cash at their branches and ATMs in the districts that are expected to be hit by the storm.
Finance department special secretary PK Biswal has written a letter to the Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India and the convenor, of state level bankers’ committee (SLBC), Odisha.
The people of the vulnerable districts may receive various government assistance like relief assistance, house building assistance and crop loan assistance etc in their bank accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode, Biswal said.
Both Union and state governments are providing various assistances to the people in the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. After getting government assistance in their bank accounts, people will withdraw the money from their accounts.
Besides, general citizens also withdraw their money from the banks to meet daily requirements even before the onset of the cyclone.
Therefore, he said, there is every possibility of heavy withdrawal of cash by the people of the districts for consumption, relief and restoration work.
“For this reason, functioning of banks and availability of cash at the level of bank branches, ATMs and banking correspondents etc during and aftermath of the cyclone in the likely affected districts is very much essential,” he wrote in the letter.
Further, all branches have been advised to keep power back-up like generators and adequate additional network for internet in case the cyclone affects the coastal districts.
The RBI and SLBC convenor have been requested to issue necessary instructions to all controlling heads of the banks operating in the state for smooth functioning.
