An Amar Ujala report published at 1:53 AM IST on 6 November 2026 describes difficulties in cash withdrawals at State Bank of India facilities in Siswa Bazar, Maharajganj, ahead of Diwali and Chhath. A local SBI manager attributed payment disruption to insufficient cash at the Maharajganj chest; an HDFC Bank manager separately disputed a shortage at his branch.
What customers and the local branch manager reported
Customers in Siswa Bazar, Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh, reported difficulties obtaining cash from certain bank branches and automated teller machines ahead of Diwali and Chhath. Amar Ujala published the report at 1:53 AM IST on 6 November 2026, describing conditions observed on Thursday, 5 November.
The newspaper quoted State Bank of India branch manager Nishkarsh Kaushal as saying that cash was not available at the Maharajganj cash chest and that this had affected local payouts. He said banks were obtaining cash deposits from local traders to manage smaller customer withdrawals, and expressed hope that the situation would ease by Friday. That expected improvement is a forecast, not evidence that supply was already restored.
Not every bank described the same position
The report also said some customers had struggled to withdraw cash from local ATMs and branches. But HDFC Bank manager Uday Tripathi denied a cash shortage at his branch and pointed to its recycler cash-management ATM. It would therefore be inaccurate to report that all banks or every ATM in Maharajganj had run out of money.
No independent RBI, cash-chest or bank-wide statement quantifying the shortage was available in the article inspected. The reported constraints are local and time-specific.
Why the issue matters to branch operations
Cash availability ahead of holidays can affect counter withdrawals, ATM replenishment and branch workload. The reported difficulties also illustrate how customers may turn to staff for explanations when physical cash availability differs among nearby banks. The article does not establish employee misconduct, a regulatory breach or a statewide banking shutdown.
What remains unconfirmed
How much additional cash was needed, how many ATMs were affected and whether normal service had resumed later on 6 November were not established at the time of this report. Customers and employees should use current branch or bank communications for live availability, rather than assuming that a local situation remains unchanged. Branch Wale will distinguish any later official confirmation from the original newspaper account.
Sources and References
Please consult the cited sources and check the exact applicability of any legal or employment change. Corrections are welcomed.
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