After 'big Notes', Denizens Are Put to Hardships for "Smaller Notes"!

Hyderabad, Nov.14: After the "big notes" its now the "small notes" that are posing hardships to the people! After the demonetization of 500 and 1000 rupee notes by the BJP-led NDA Government in a major step to check corruption and unearth black money, the people were subjected to innumerable hardships in exchanging the old notes with the new notes. Since November 8 when the demonetization of the big notes commenced, the people, who were caught off guard made a beeline to the banks to exchange the old notes. However, various hiccups in the implementation of the " Modi Plan", the people, especially the poor and the middle class were subjected to untold miseries. Though in the beginning there was a cap of 4000 rupees for withdrawal or exchange and 2000 for withdrawals from ATMs, people who thronged the banks and ATMs were forced to spend hours in standing in serpentine queues to get 4000 rupees for purchasing essential commodities and other day-to-day needs. However, the ATMs were not calibrated for the 2000 rupee notes due to its size. Also, the RBI could not release the new 500 rupee notes. Thus the cash crunch in the banks and ATMs forced the people to spend long hours at the banks to get the required cash for their day-to-day needs. Since Monday has been declared as a holiday for all the banks in Telangana State in view of Guru Nanak Jayanti, scores of people, especially the poor and working class, including the daily wage earners were forced to remain cashless today. As a mater of fact, many rushed to the ATMs of various banks expecting that the recalibrated ones would function but were completely disappointed on finding their shutters down. Though the banks worked in the neighboring Andhra Pradesh State, there was no respite for the people what with the long queues before the banks and ATMs with either the cash not being replenished in the banks or shortage of money. Meanwhile, the Congress party in its bid to fish in troubled waters launched protest dharnas and rallies against the Modi government for launching the demonetization scheme. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who is also not very happy with the move of the BJP-led government at the Centre, advised the YSR MPs to take up the issue in the ensuing Parliament session in a big way. However, while the banks were trying to ease the situation by ensuring that as many people as possible would not be subjected to any hardships in the cash withdrawals, the people are now faced with a new problem --- that of not having the required small notes or change for the big notes. Since the banks are now dispensing with the new Rs 2000 notes and also the Rs 500 new notes, those who were able to lay their hands on these amounts were still finding numerous problems in getting them changed. While purchasing essential commodities or vegetables and other daily needs, the people are now handicapped due to the shortage of smaller denomination currency. Shop keepers are insisting for smaller notes and the people are unable to get the required change. The banks are also expressing inability to provide smaller denomination notes to those who are withdrawing or exchanging old notes with the new ones. Thus the people are now confronted with dual problem ---- in procuring the cash and even after acquiring it they were forced to search for smaller denomination notes. As the ensuing second cricket match between India and England is scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam from November 17 was also causing numerous problems to the cricket lovers for want of small denomination currency.