Students, markets hit hard with demonetization drive

MANGALURU: Public, especially students in this coastal town, are bearing the brunt of demonetization of the currencies of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in a bid to curb black money by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Sunday, it was like any other day and there were queues inside the banks and outside ATMs. An ATM on MG Road had currency loaded on Saturday 2.30pm and it was exhausted by 7 pm.Till Sunday, many people were expectantly waiting outside the ATM since 4 pm as the security personnel had said the cash van would come. Many returned disappointed when the security staff said the cash van personnel were not responding but others waited trying to take a chance and many of them were students.
Egyptian Sumayya Ghalib, an interior design student of a college here said: Being an outsider I have to depend on ATMs for my cash needs. "We (her friends Sadia from Kundapur and Fathima from Kozhikode) have been scouting for ATMs for cash since 7 am without any luck,’’ she said.
Sadia wants to go to her home town and so too does Fathima, but the stumbling block is no cash. They had put together Rs 22 on them. "Two days back we had to dig our pockets and managed to collect Rs 130 in coins to have pani puri,’’ said Ghalib ruing that the decision was in haste and PM should have thought about the common man. "It’s very difficult for women to stand in a queue where there’s lot of pushing and shoving," she said.
Dr Purushottam, an administrator of a medical college, did manage to withdraw Rs 2,000 from the same ATM on Saturday and was waiting to withdraw another Rs 2,000 as he had to go to Bengaluru.
Nisha, BCA student of a college, wanted to go to Kerala and needed money to buy icket and was waiting patiently for the cash can to arrive.
MARKET WOES: Sunanda (name changed), a fisher woman at Hampanakatta had to return home empty handed on Saturday as the fisher sellers at fish dock refused to take her old currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.
“Every day we go to dock buy fish worth several thousands and pay them in hard cash but due to demonetization, I had to return as they (fish sellers) refused to
buy the old currency,” Sunanda shares her problem pulling out dozens of old Rs 500 notes from her purse.
Like Sunanda, it is the problem of all other fisher woman at the market and it is also difficult for them to take old currency notes from customer. “We need to run our home and we can eke out livelihood only through selling fish. Sometimes we receive old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes from customer and sometimes don’t. We will lose our business if we go and stand in queue for exchanging our old notes,” adds another fisherwoman.
While their counterpart blames that since bank withdrawal amount is limited to small amount and it is not possible for them buy enough fish to sell. “We need at least Rs 10,000 to 15,000 a day for buying fish,” she adds. Others added that they have no change of Rs 100 and below denomination to give to their customers.
MARKET WOES: The future for hundreds of vegetable, fruits and other household merchants, who supply daily needs to entire city is in quandary. “From Sunday onwards I have stopped the purchasing of goods and will resume when everything turns to normalcy,” says worried vegetable merchant Peter D’Souza.
Abdul Salam, wholesale fruit merchant at the market shares that they have given goods in credit to regular customers. “Since all are transactions are done in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency, we have no other way out. For some we have given credit and asked our suppliers to wait for some days to clear their dues,” he maintains.
Other merchants complain that they don’t have enough change to tender with customers. “All customers are giving us Rs 2000 note. If they make business of Rs 200 or Rs 300, we have to give them change in Rs 100 notes. How can it be possible when bank themselves don’t have Rs 100 notes,” adds another lemon merchant.
POLICE CLARIFY ON HOAX MESSAGE: The social messaging platforms are taking advantage of the confusion and adding more fuel to the fire. One such message that started doing rounds was DK Superintendent of Police can help public in need to withdraw Rs 5 lakh. The message read: If there is a marriage in any family. They can approach SP. Obtain a letter from his office and go to bank to withdraw UpTo 5 lakh. Please spread this in other groups also. Any doubt contact 9440313183. Helplines. 9936379217. 9454416400.
The police clarified that the news was fake and SP messaged that he has not received any communication to this effect from authorities concerned.