For Finance ministry, Akshayapatra ATM

New Delhi: The government's claim that the cash crisis had erased all privilege and affected everyone equally was on Tuesday spectacularly upended in its own backyard, hours after the Prime Minister's mother had made a publicised visit to a bank, An ATM at the finance ministry headquarters in North Block turned a virtual money tree, coughing up cash inexhaustibly through the day while across the country other ATMs kept running dry within hours. The discriminatory behaviour was stark enough to cause heartburn even within the seat of power - at the home ministry, to be specific, which has its own ATM on the same floor of North Block about 30 yards away. "There's been a constant flow of cash from the finance ministry's ATM since morning while the money in ours has already gone dry twice," an upper division clerk from the home ministry grumbled this afternoon, looking at the long queue before him at his ministry's cash dispenser. "Both are State Bank of India ATMs, but while the bank is taking at least an hour and a half each time to replenish our machine, theirs is being reloaded in less than half an hour." Apparently, the State Bank branch in the rear of the North Block complex, which houses the finance and home ministries and the Intelligence Bureau, has been keen to keep its masters in good humour. The two ATMs are open only to the 5,000 people who work in the complex, among whom are ministers and senior bureaucrats, apart from the accredited journalists and visitors with prior appointments who are allowed into the building. When this reporter paid a visit around 3pm, about 120 people were lined up before the home ministry ATM while about half the number stood outside its finance ministry counterpart. "It's now becoming an eyesore," a home ministry official said in pretend envy, pointing to the finance ministry ATM as he joined the smaller queue in front of it. "Although it's a bit far from my office, I took my boss's permission to come here," he confessed. An Intelligence Bureau inspector wondered: "Since the finance ministry is in charge of currency, is it not its responsibility to mitigate the sufferings of the common people too?" The perks of privilege betrayed themselves in other ways too before the cash machines. "Not a single senior official from either ministry has so far joined the queues," a clerk confided. "They are handing their cards to their staff and getting them to withdraw money on their behalf." A senior finance ministry official said work culture had gone for a toss in North Block since the demonetisation was announced on November 8. "All lower-rung employees are spending more time in the queues than at their desks." Most of those in the queues praised the demonetisation drive but criticised the way it was implemented. "It seems like there's a national calamity. Barring the rich, all Indians are suffering because the government did not make the necessary preparations," a finance ministry employee said. Another official, from the ministry's economic welfare department, questioned the timing of the drive, which has coincided with the wedding season. He recounted how he had drawn Rs 25,000 on November 8 afternoon and headed to hometown Alwar in Rajasthan to attend a relative's wedding, only to receive a nasty surprise. "All the cash had become illegal within hours," he said. "I had to borrow from friends." Officials said the queues at North Block had been longer in the morning when the employees returned to work after a long weekend, Monday having been a government holiday. Elsewhere in Delhi, people gathered outside the Reserve Bank of India since 6am to exchange their old currency. Many others were left disappointed and angry as the workday ended without succour. Farheen, 24, had lined up outside the Reserve Bank with 15 family members, each with bundles of 500 and 1,000-rupee notes they planned to exchange. The young woman, due to marry on Sunday, was clutching a wedding invitation card her family had printed, hoping desperately to melt the teller's heart with it and wangle a bit more than the stipulated Rs 4,500 per member. At 4pm, two hours before the counter would close, they were still to receive their money. "I'm not sure I'll be able to marry on the scheduled date," Farheen said, gazing at the snaking line of people before her.