Banks Closing ATMs in Bihar: Cash access is getting harder for a lot of residents across Bihar after banks permanently shut 371 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in only nine months. As per figures shared by the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) , the working ATMs in Bihar dropped from 7,269 in March 2025 to 6,898 by December 2025. In that span Patna saw 117 closures which is the most compared to any district there.
Why Are Banks Closing ATMs in Bihar?
Banking officials say the growing popularity of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has significantly reduced the number of cash withdrawals at many off-site ATMs.
“Banks are shutting down off-site ATMs that receive fewer than 170 visitors a day. The objective is to balance operational costs by reducing expenditure on low-footfall locations,” Banking expert Rajiv Narayan Das said.
Maintaining an ATM involves recurring costs such as rent, electricity, security personnel and cash replenishment. According to banking experts, several off-site ATMs were serving fewer than 170 customers a day, making them financially unviable. As a result, banks have opted to shut low-usage kiosks while continuing to expand branch networks.
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District Wise Banks
The capital city has been the worst affected by the downsizing exercise. District-wise figures show:
- Patna: 117 ATMs closed
- Muzaffarpur: 27 closures
- Vaishali: 20 closures
In contrast, Gaya bucked the trend by adding five new ATMs during the same period.
The SLBC data indicates that:
- Public sector banks closed 220 ATMs.
- Private sector banks shut 125 ATMs.
Following reports of the shrinking ATM network, Mihir Kumar Singh, Development Commissioner and Convenor of the State Government’s Banking Committee, said the matter would be reviewed at the committee’s next meeting after examining the latest ATM data.
“You have brought this matter to my notice. I do not have the related data at present. I will have the ATM figures reviewed in the next meeting,” Singh said.
