A string of hardships for common man post ban

Nalgonda: With the closure of banks and ATMs, the common people were put in a strange situation of doing away with the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes at the petrol bunks and other listed establishments.The staff at the gas stations was irked to the skies when almost all customers took out banned notes from their wallets to pay the bills.

In Nalgonda town, workers at the petrol bunks refused to accept the banned currency citing lack of change with them. However, they accepted the denominations from the customers who filled the tanks of their vehicles to the brim. Going further, some of the petrol bunks have even displayed board asking for exact amount from the customers for the amount of petrol they filled.

A worker of HP Petrol Bunk on RP Road, Amruth, deplored that 90 per cent of the customers were giving banned notes since Tuesday night. He questioned as to how was it possible for him to tender the change in such a strange situation.

He said some of the customers were also picking up arguments with the staff pointing out the announcement of the government that banned currency would be accepted at all petrol bunks and hospitals. “Some of the customers are coming to petrol bunks to validate their 500 and 1,000 rupee notes.

Except at petrol bunks, the business activity at the commercial establishment came to a standstill as the people kept themselves away from shopping and purchasing to use the available less denominations precariously as the banned currency was not accepted at shops, cinema theatres, hotels and business establishments.

Several commercial complexes, including SPT Market that houses 250 shops, wore a deserted look with no customers.