The Supreme Court today asked the Centre when the minimum weekly withdrawal limit has been fixed, why are people not able to get that amount.

Some of the petitioners told the court said that despite the government allowing withdrawals of Rs.24,000 a week, banks often say they don’t have that much money.

"Can we say that this will be the minimum assured weekly withdrawal amount that a person can get from the bank," the bench asked and while fixing the batch of petitions for further hearing on December 14.

The government told the court that the withdrawal limit was restricted to ensure that everyone gets new currency.

The bench, meanwhile, proposed to frame various legal questions to be deliberated upon in the future hearing.

The top court had on December 2 asked the Centre to spell out the measures taken to ease suffering and inconvenience to the people in rural areas.

The Supreme Court has also sought Centre’s response on the issues including whether the district cooperative banks can be allowed to accept deposits with certain conditions and can there be a minimum assured withdrawal from banks.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to seek instruction and apprise it about the stand of the government on issues including the bar on district cooperative banks from accepting deposits in demonetised currency notes.

The AG had said that the government was aware of the situation in cooperative banks which lack proper infrastructure and mechanism as compared to scheduled banks.

On November 29, the apex court had agreed to hear pleas of 14 cooperative banks of Kerala seeking its nod to transact business like banks and others seeking demonetisation of any currency note higher than Rs 100 denomination.