Bandipora, Jan 11: Despite tall claims by the banking industry in J&K about expanding their services to every part of the state, there are only three Automated Teller Machines in this north Kashmir district.
 The district that consists three tehsils, 103 villages and three municipalities, has only three ATMs, all installed by J&K Bank. Interestingly, no other bank has ATM presence here.
 Interestingly, according to locals of Bandipora and Sumbal townships of this district even these ATMs do not work properly.
 The locals alleged that the ATMs rarely function even during the day. “For better part of the last week the machines did not work putting people to lot of inconvenience.”
 “It is foolish to bank upon these machines,” said Basharat Ahmed, a government employee, complaining that most of time “these machines have disappointed me.”
 Basharat alleged that for most of the time the two ATMs installed in Bandipora township remain out of order.
 A BSF constable said: “We are coming all the way from far flung villages of the district to withdraw cash but we  feel disgusted as the machines remain out of order.”
 Shiekh Saleem, a JKB Bank client said: “It is disgusting that we do not get our own money when we require it.’’
 He suggested that the J&K Bank should increase its ATM strength in the district, while other banks should also come forward to install their teller machines.
 However, branch manager Ghulam Muhammad Bhat blamed the customers for malfunctioning of the machines.
 He said: “Customers are putting spoilt and damaged ATM cards into the machines which results in technical and mechanical faults in the machine.”
 “While fixing the faults in the machines, we have recovered dozens of laminated, damaged and spoilt cards in them,” he added. 

Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST