Secretary of Economic Affairs Shaktikanta Das on Monday said that by Monday or Tuesday, ATMs will begin to dispense the new Rs 2,000 note. “Supply of cash to 1.3 lakh branch post offices will be enhanced,” he said, adding that in the next few days, there will be a higher number of recalibrated ATMs that will dispense the high-denomination currency. A task force has also been set up to ensure that ATMs are ready to dispense these notes soon.

Das also announced that banking correspondents (those authorised to collect small ticket deposits and extend small credit on behalf of the banks) will be now allowed to withdraw money multiple times. The earlier limit was one withdrawal per day imposed after Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were demonetised. The cash holding limit for banking correspondents has also been increased to Rs 50,000.

A large number of micro-ATMs will also be deployed across India, he said. “The focus of the government is to activate all channels whereby cash is dispensed to the public,” the economic secretary said, reiterating the call to not panic as “enough cash will be available” in the coming days. Besides, no toll will be levied on national highways till November 18, reported ANI. Earlier, Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari had extended the toll suspension on all national highways till November 14.

Late on Sunday, the Centre had pushed the last date for government hospitals, petrol stations and toll booths to accept the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 tenders till November 24. It had also raised the ATM withdrawal limit from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500, but only for recalibrated ATMs. In addition to also increasing the weekly cash withdrawal limit from Rs 20,000 to Rs 24,000, the Finance Ministry had advised all banks to arrange for mobile banking vans at major hospitals to be available for patients during emergencies.