In a series of new plans to ease out the cash crunch post-demonetisation, the government has announced another initiative. As of today, you can withdraw up to Rs 2,000 at select petrol pumps.

On Thursday, the government issued a statement which stated that in order to reduce the queues outside banks and ATMs, about 2,500 petrol pumps with State Bank of India (SBI) machines will help out: “…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 decision was taken after a meeting between officials of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and SBI Chief Arundhati Bhattacharya. The press release also stated that “The Oil Industry is also in further discussions with SBI and other Banks” to extend this facility to over 20,000 petrol pumps across India.

Meanwhile, not just the aam aadmi but also our netas in Parliament House are feeling the cash crunch. On Thursday, Parliament staff, security officials and a few journalists who queued up at two ATMs at the Parliament House complex had to return disappointed as the cash vending machines weren’t filled up.