Jharsuguda: Woes of the farmers came to the fore Monday when hundreds of them queued up in the wee hours in front of the SDCC Bank at Laikera in this district to withdraw their money under ‘Bima Yojana’. Sources said that they had queued up since 3.00 am Monday. Sources pointed out that this was not a one-off incident. As there is just one counter of the bank in the entire locality, residents of Laikera, Kolabira and Kirmira block depend on it for their daily transactions. The token system implemented by the bank officials to prevent overcrowding has added to the farmers’ woes.
“Such is the situation that we are forced to stand in a queue since early morning. I came and joined the line at 4.00 am and yet my token number is 104. We place our tools to mark our spots and then look for shade in this very hot weather. The bank officials should notice our plight and help us,” said Jhasketan Patel who is a farmer. When contacted, the manager of the bank said that he has informed the higher-ups. “We are trying open more counters in the bank as soon as possible,” he said.