BHOPAL: Payments for fixed monthly expenses are made in the first week of the month. And the time is here. The post-demonetisation blues have left the students from outside the city worried about how they will manage until their parents send them money. Professionals are worried about cashless ATMs and long queues at banks for withdrawals.
Ranjana Khatik, 26, MCA student
“I have just completed my PG and am waiting to join a company. I am left with very limited cash now and due to crowds in the banks, my parents are unable to deposit money in my account. My father has arthritis and my mother does not know much about banking. I have sought help from my friends here so that I can manage till they can make the deposit. It is terrible to live in this way”, said Ranjana who hails from Shahdol and is living here in a rented flat with her friends.
Bhanu Prajapati, 25, nursing student
“I have never faced this kind of situation before. Being short on cash at the end of the month is common but demoentisation has left us cashless even at the beginning of the month. Generally, my parents deposit money into my account by the second of every month but they have already told me that they will be sending money later this month. Gladly, I have cash for paying my mess charges but for other expenses like hostel fee and my personal expenses, I don’t have money”, said Bhanu, who is studying in a nursing college at Kolar and hails from Khandwa.
Sharda Singh, 23, banking student
Sharda is taking coaching for bank PO examination in Bhopal and is working part time as a translator in a small firm. She says that she neither has money in cash nor in her account. “I don’t take money from my parents for my expenses and am entirely dependent on my salary. And this month my boss has declared that he will be giving salaries by the 10th because he has also not received payments from his clients. Ours is a very small company and the profits are nothing to write about so I am not able to ask him for money. As of now, I have requested my hostel manager to give me few extra days for paying”.
Amit Singh, 28, employee at BPO
“I had cash but I lend them to my friends who needed it and now I am not left with any. I have to pay to the Tiffin centre where I have my meals. Then, room rent has also to be paid. I don’t have a vehicle so, I travel in public transport. I will have to take leave to get cash from my account because ATMs are wiped clean in no time after they are replenished and the queues in banks are so long that you need a day for cash withdrawal. Initially, I was supporting the move but now I think that it was a very stupid move because only common man is suffering”, Amit said.
Sooraj Gajbhiye, 27, MR
“I am short of money and time both at the end of month. We are given weekly targets and the beginning of month is very hectic for us. I have received my salary but I am unable to get cash and pay my rent and my cook and the guy who irons my clothes. I cannot pay them through card and they also depend on the payments we make at the end of month for their expenses. ATMs are mostly out of cash. I tried five different ATMs last night but none of them had cash. Rent can wait but my maid is a good lady and I understand that she also needs money”, said Sooraj while talking about his problems. Sooraj comes from Lalitpur and is working in Bhopal as a medical representative.
