MLAs too get cash cramps!

Hyderabad: Just before the discussion on the effect of demonetisation and the problems being faced by the people started in the Assembly, the MLAs had a firsthand experience of the problems the common man has been facing since November 8.

The legislators, on the first day of Winter Session of the Assembly, made a beeline to the ATM on the Assembly premises to withdraw money but they were greeted with ‘No Cash’ board.

Then they went to the bank where they hold the account on the Assembly premises and complained to the branch manager. The branch manager expressed his inability and assured to give only Rs 10,000 cash for the day.

What is interesting is that some of the legislators who spoke of cyber crime and lack of awareness among people in using debit cards had themselves given their debit cards to their assistants along with the pin number.

What had come as another shock to the MLAs was that though the bank manager gave Rs 10,000 to all MLAs who wanted to withdraw the money, they could not get smaller denomination currency and had to take five notes of Rs 2000 each.

A TRS MLA from Warangal, who did not want to be named, said he had been facing currency crisis in his constituency and was disappointed that even in the bank on the Assembly premises, he could not get enough money.

The MLAs said that if they could not get money from the Assembly branch, it would become difficult for them to meet the day-to-day expenditure during the Assembly session.

They later drew the attention of the Speaker towards the cash crunch problems and urged him to see that the ATM on the Assembly premises was loaded with some cash every day.