JK bank ATM guards shiver in absence of heating arrangements in Kupwara

Kashmir Wire

Srinagar: Abdul Rashid (not his real name) shivered in sub-zero temperatures last night at a JK bank run ATM booth, manned in Kupwara town. The ATM is without any heating facility.

Abdul Rashid has to spend at least eight nights at the ATM during a month, according to the duty roster issued by a private recruitment agency – ‘G Active Service’.

Like him, guards manning various ATMs in the district are spending nights in extremely cold conditions, in absence of any heating arrangement.

“We are not even allowed to operate blowers or room heaters in ATM booths. It is becoming increasingly impossible to spend nights in prevailing sub-zero temperatures as the ATMs are devoid of any heating arrangement,” said Rashid, ATM guard.

“I developed severe chest complications due to bone-chilling cold last night. However I have no option but to continue the night duty as recruitment agency may disengage me from service if I failed to attend the duty,” he added.

Rashid fears, if he reveals his original name, he may be disengaged from service by the private agency, for making the problem at ATMs public.

The ATMs of private banks like HDFC or AXIS bank are equipped with heating facility, according to guards.

The problem for ATM guards’ getting a nominal stipend of Rs 6500 per month does not end here.

Most of the ATMs’ in the district does not have a separate cabin or space for guards to stay.

“We put matting like a foam piece on the limited tile floor in ATMs to spend nights. At some ATM booths, the space constraint is so much that it is even impossible to stretch legs and stay, ” said another ATM guard, requesting anonymity.

There is no toilet facility available near the cash dispensing machines, as well.

“In absence of this important facility, we have to go to neighbours or nearby hotels to attend nature’s call,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, an ATM guard in Sogam town.

There are at least 40 ATMs of JK bank alone in Kupwara district.

In wake of several incidents of stealing of cash from ATMs mostly in south Kashmir during recent months, night duty of guards at all ATMs has been made mandatory by the recruitment agency.

Ikhlaq Ahmad, Managing Director, ‘G Active Service’ said the agency has already written to JK bank authorities’ to install heating facility at ATMs.

“The ATMs booths located near main branches in major towns may get the heating facility in a few weeks. However, the heating facility in other ATMs may take some months,” he told Kashmir Wire.

“After a blower caused a blast in an ATM booth in Pattan town last week,  we have directed guards to refrain from using any heating gadget but they can use a hot water bottle or Kangri for warmth during nights,” he added.   (Kashmir Wire)

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