Zee Media Bureau


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New Delhi: In a bid to ease cash crunch, the government, on Thursday opened yet another cashpoint in the form of petrol pump outlets, and said that one would be able to withdraw up to Rs 2,000 through debit card swipe, starting Friday.


However, initially, the facility will only be available at 2500 petrol stations only, and that too at the outlets which have the swipe machines of State Bank of India.


Over the next three days, the service is expected to extend to 20,000 outlets, which have card swipe machines from HDFC Bank, Citibank and ICICI Bank.


Petrol Pump Outlets Dispensing Cash

Number of petrol pumps across the country

Swipe machine of banks

2,500  

SBI

20,000 

Citi Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC

The move, initially suggested by the All India Petroleum Dealers Association, is part of the Centre's efforts to ease currency supply in the system. The facility to withdraw cash at petrol pumps will continue even after November 24, when the deadline for using old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 for making payment of essential services ends.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 surprised citizens by announcing demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes and since then large number of seemingly unending queues before banks and post offices are seen in order to exchange these currencies.