Remote villages grapple with crisis

JAISALMER: In Jaisalmer and Barmer there are remote villages and hamlets where there are no post offices banks, buses, newspapers or TVs.
For those raising cattle and living in these areas, the harsh realities of demonetization are slowly but surely sinking in. And the tales are getting grimmer by the day.
Many have kept their savings in the banned denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, and have now started going to nearby banks, along with their wives and children, from the fear of losing their hard-earned money.
TOI visited Shahgarh Bulj area and found that the villages were totally disconnected with the world. Forget banks or ATMs, many didn’t have schools or even health centres. These include Bhadaria, Harnau, Murar, Dhanana, Ghotaru, Khara Bhanda, Rablau, Kirarwali, Shahgarh, Gamnewala, Sadewala and Longewala, among other villages.
Avad Khan of Jhalaria said that he sells goats and sheep worth Rs 10 lakh a year. Apart from this, he earns Rs 2-3 lakh by selling wool. He is now worried about what would happen to his savings. The nearest bank is 80km away in Sam, where he had to stand an entire day in the queue to change some money.
Similarly, Karib Khan of Harnau said that he came to know about demonetization two days after the decision as there was no TV or newspaper in his area. He found about it when he came to Jaisalmer. He is into animal husbandry and has problems exchanging money that he received from selling cattle. He does not have a bank account or ATM card and has no clue about what to do.
Chatur Singh of Tanot said that the village had a population of 200 people and all were cattle raisers. There is no post office in the village and the nearest one is 60km away in Ramgarh.
But since it’s a small post office, one cannot change notes there. Though it has a cooperative bank, the bank does not have permission to exchange notes. So, the villagers have to rely on the only other bank at Ramgarh. But here the queue is so long that you cannot exchange notes even if you stand the entire day.
The situation is same at Jhinjhinyali, Kunda, Jogidas ka Gaon, Chelak, Bayeea, Randha, Tejmalta, Guhada, etc., where there are no post offices or banks in the vicinity of 60-80km.
Eighty-year-old Kesar Singh, who was standing in a bank queue in Jaisalmer, said he had come from Junda village to exchange notes, while Premchand Kanwar of Raimal has come with his two-month-old baby. With things set to get worse, these villagers are in for a harsh winter.