Ahmedabad/Rajkot/Mahesana: Even as the RBI and the union government are introducing ways to lessen the difficulties of commoners in getting usable cash from banks/post offices, people standing in queues to exchange old notes and withdraw money today lost patience at some places and attacked a post-office and a bank in Gujarat while created ruckus at some other places.

Irate people pelted stone at the Meghraj post-office in Aravalli district of North Gujarat today when they were told that the counter there had run out of cash. A glass in the upper window pane got damaged. Later police controlled the mob.

In a similar incident, in Sultanpur town under Gondal taluka of Rajkot district, angry people also attacked the local branch of Bank of India damaging its window panes.

In Viramgam town of Ahmedabad district also people standing in long queue to exchange old notes lost patience and created ruckus.

The rumour of a fake currency making factory in Karli village under Unjha Taluka of Mahesana district also put the local police in tizzy for sometime. The recovery of some note like papers near a well on the outskirts of the village led to rumours that notes of Rs 20, 50 and 100 denominations were being printed in the village.

The security around banks, post-offices and ATM’s across the state is likely to be beefed up in the wake of the said intelligence report of anti-social elements/people with vested interest planning to create violence in the coming days.

In other development related to the demonetization issue, opposition Congress today organized protest dharnas at many places.

Meanwhile, the RBI has allowed the district co-operative banks in the state to exchange Rs 500/1000 notes. Notably, various leaders including some related to the ruling BJP had expressed displeasure over the ban on these banks. They had said that owing to restriction on such banks, farmers in the far-flung areas were facing great difficulty.

The RBI had put a ban on exchange of old notes in around 2200 branches of about one and a half dozen such banks in Gujarat after four days. It has not given any reason for it but it was understood that reports of discrepancies was the reason behind it. Many political leaders are in the board of directors of such banks. In its latest circular the RBI has instructed such banks to follow its instructions strictly while exchanging notes.

DeshGujarat