For all salaried people the first day of a month will be a time for celebration. After getting their salary, many families normally prefers to spare some quality time for films, restaurants or small get-togethers. But this December 1 turned to be a pain day with the near-collapse of banking system.

Though their salaries were transferred to their bank accounts by their employers, they could hardly withdraw their amounts. Both Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and union finance ministry assurance that they have made perfect arrangements by dispatching additional cash reserves to all banks to facilitate easy withdrawal of cash and monitoring situation every hour.

But most of the people are struggling hard. For the last two days almost 90 per cent of ATMs remained closed. Even ATMs attached to big bank branches are also seen with boards `no cash’. Long queues at remaining ATMs make it impossible for many to spare hours together there.

The conditions at banks are also not so different. Long back they stopped giving promised maximum amount of Rs 24,000 at counters. Even partial payments are being suspended by afternoon for scarcity of cash.

Being the pay day, today large numbers of people were seen reaching banks and ATMs since early morning. But most of them failed in withdrawing cash by noon.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to discontinue the existing facility of using old Rs 500 notes at petrol pumps and airline ticket counters by tomorrow. Earlier, the government announced to provide this facility till Dec 15. But now, from Dec 3 onwards these notes cannot be used for purchase of petrol, diesel and gas at the stations operating under authorisation of public sector oil marketing companies and for buying airline tickets at airport counter.

The old notes, however, can still be used to make other utility bill payments and at railway ticketing counters till December 15. They will also be accepted at counters of public sector undertaking buses for purchase of bus tickets.