New Delhi, April 19: As the cash crunch continues to affect parts of the nation on a fourth day in a row, the Finance Ministry sources have claimed the situation is inching towards normalcy.

On a nationwide scale, close to 86 per cent ATMs are functional and dispensing cash, the sources told news agency ANI on Thursday. In Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jammu Kashmir and the North East, over 90 per cent ATMs have been replenished, they confirmed.

The situation, however remains grim in Bihar where one-third of all automated teller machines are not dispensing cash. Only 66 per cent of the ATMs have resumed function.

In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, which felt the worst brunt of the recent cash crunch, 77 per cent and 70 per cent ATMs have turned functional, respectively.

On order to address the liquid currency shortage in the two southern states, the RBI had dispatched a total of Rs 51,000 crores in cash to Hyderabad.

The State Bank of India chief Rajnish Kumar on Thursday claimed the cash crunch will cease to exist in all parts of the nation by tomorrow. Claiming there was no major lapse on part of the government, the top banker said there is some amount of hoarding of the 2,000-rupee notes which led to the interim panic.

Meanwhile, MoS Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla lashed out at the media for creating a frenzy over cash shortage. The Minister said the issue was blown out of proportion by some vested interests.

"I believe there is cash in more than 80 percent of the ATMs in the country. Some people are in the habit of misleading the country just to build their own image, I request them to not do so," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 19, 2018 05:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).