Campbell Bay, 11 Dec 2020
The residents of Nancowry are facing a lot of difficulties because of non-availability of functional ATMs in the Island. Currently, both State Bank of India and Andaman and Nicobar State Cooperative Bank both have one ATM each in Nancowry Island but these ATMs are now defunct since a long time.
Non-availability of ATMs in Nancowry are leading to long queues in bank branches. Several people are seen lining up at the bank branches every day to withdraw cash. During these times of COVID-19 pandemic, it is extremely important for everyone to avoid crowded places, but since ATM services are not functional in Nancowry the residents and Govt. Servants are forced to visit the bank branches to withdraw cash.
Shri. Aslam Majid, First Captain of Nancowry spoke to Nicobar Times regarding the issue. He informed us that the ATMs of both the banks are defunct since about a month and the general public are facing a lot of difficulties. He further informed that because the ATM services are not available there is more than usual crowd in the bank branches.
Both State Bank of India and Andaman and Nicobar State Cooperative Bank should regularly take stock of their ATMs in remote Islands and take remedial measures by repairing their ATMs as soon as possible to avoid the inconvenience to the General Public.
ATMs of Nancowry should be repaired as soon as possible. The District Administration should also consider exempting the technicians arriving from Port Blair to the remote Islands for ATM repairs from mandatory quarantine because, in the banking circles, the talk is that the technicians are refusing to visit the remote Islands for repairs because of the mandatory quarantine.
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