As demonetisation woes spill over, petrol pumps to provide Rs 2,000 a day

The government said on Thursday that people can get cash at select petrol pumps with SBI machines by swiping their debit cards, another move aimed at tackling long queues of people turning up at banks and ATMs to exchange or deposit Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes that were withdrawn last week.

The government said on Thursday that people can get cash at select petrol pumps with SBI machines by swiping their debit cards --- the latest announcement aimed at tackling long queues of people turning up at banks and ATMs to exchange or deposit Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes that were withdrawn last week.

Heavy rush at a petrol pump in Ghaziabad after the Centre’s decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes. Petrol pumps will accept the old notes till November 24.(Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The facility will be available at 2,500 petrol pumps run by public sector oil companies, said a press release retweeted by Dharmendra Pradhan, the minister of state (independent charge) for petroleum and natural gas.

“...it has been decided that an amount of up to Rs 2000 per day per person can be dispensed against swiping of debit card from select petrol pumps...,” the release said.

Petrol pumps run by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited where POS (point of sale) machines of the State Bank of India (SBI) are available will have the facility.

“The Oil Industry is also in further discussions with SBI and other Banks” to extend this facility to over 20,000 petrol pumps across, the release said.

The facility will start on Friday and will be available till the situation improves, sources said. However, the full-fledged implementation of the plan might take some time for want of SBI machines.

Petrol pumps are already accepting Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and will continue to do so till November 24, the release said.

The government also appealed to people to buy fuel at petrol pumps by using cashless transactions --- debit/credit cards and mobile wallets, among other options.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise announcement to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes last week has sparked chaos and confusion across the country, with millions of consumers queued outside banks and ATMs to change a limited number of old notes for new ones or withdraw cash.

The government said the move was aimed at rooting out black money and corruption.

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