Demonetisation Normal life badly hit

Eluru: Following the Centre’s decision to cancel the currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination, common people have been facing extreme difficulties to purchase items even for daily needs. Businessmen and traders in the city had been refusing to accept the currency notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 since morning. Banks, ATMs and liquor shops were closed for the day.

Despite the Centre announcing that old notes can be exchanged at Petrol stations, the petrol bunk staff has not been accepting these notes. In some petrol bunks, staff has been returning the change after deducting some amount as their commission.

At toll-gates in the district, traffic was stranded for several kilometres as the notes were not being accepted there either and heated exchanges were witnessed between the toll-gate staff and commuters. At certain places, toll-gate personnel were reportedly demanding a bribe of Rs 100 to exchange notes of higher denomination. And this, despite the Centre’s instructions to toll gates to accept the notes for two days.