Millions throng banks to exchange Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bills when they open for first time after PM’s announcement; PILs queue up in High Courts and in SC
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New Delhi: Banks across the country opened up to long, serpentine queues yesterday as millions of people rushed to their local branches to get rid of banned high denomination currency for new notes or deposit them in their accounts even as police maintained tight security.
Several bank officials said most branches were witnessing unprecedented rush
Anxious customers thronged the branches much before the opening time – some at the crack of dawn – and had to wait for several hours to complete their transactions with senior citizens also not being spared of hardships. Amid frayed tempers, there were complaints galore that the stocks of new hard-to-fake Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes were exhausted within hours though the old notes were being accepted by banks.
Some anxious customers thronged their local bank branches at the crack of dawn. Pics/PTI
In Delhi, as many as 3,400 personnel of paramilitary and Delhi Police along with quick reaction teams were deployed for maintaining security in banks in view of a huge rush.