SBI chief Rajnish Kumar said bank is working "at 100 per cent capacity".
As banks across India, hit by the cash shortage, gear up for pay day, a top official of the State Bank of India or SBI has claimed that India's largest bank is prepared for the rush.
In an interview to NDTV, SBI Managing Director Rajnish Kumar said the bank is working "at 100 per cent capacity," distributing close to Rs 6,000 crores daily after the notes ban.
He also claimed "90 per cent of our ATMs are working".
That confidence may not match ground reality, with reports of ATMs that have run dry, and scuffles outside banks because of cash shortage, including branches of SBI.
Mr Kumar admitted, "We can't say that it is an absolutely normal situation, but we are making it known to RBI whenever we are facing shortages."
A part of the reason, he said, is that "people feel they should take out cash as soon as it gets filled."
As for pay day, he said "we have made arrangements for orderly handling of the queues, seating and even serving water."
He said if needed, the ban is ready to bring in extra security, but it doesn't foresee any trouble.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8 that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes - which formed 85 per cent of the cash in circulation - have been banned. The move, aimed at choking tax evaders, has forced citizens to spend hours at banks and ATMs to exchange or withdraw valid cash.