Tourists caught unawares, coastal businesses hit

NT NETWORK
CALANGUTE
Tourists along the beach belt from Baga to Sinquerim were caught unawares after the government announced to withdraw currencies in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.
Restaurants put up boards stating that the notes of high denomination will not be accepted forcing the tourists to pay odd figure bill as tips while shops forced customers to buy goods worth Rs 500 as there was no low denomination note to give as change in Calangute.
Playing it safe, restaurants, water sports activities, rent-a-bike and some guest houses and hotels placed boards stating that they will not accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes due to government instruction.
A tourist said, “We came to Goa with a certain budget but this morning we came to known about the decision of the central government to withdraw the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes from circulation. This is a good move to stop black money but has put us in trouble.”
Vijay Sanghivi, a tourist from Nasik said, “Our hotel food bill has come up to Rs 1,800. As the casher of the restaurant was not accepting the notes, I was forced to pay Rs 200 as tip. In the morning my family could not enjoy water sports as they were not accepting the high denomination notes.”
Ravi, a tourist from Gujarat, said that he had come down to the state with his friends this morning and had to literally hunt for a hotel to stay as some hotels refused to accept the high denomination notes.
Pooja, who is working as a cashier for a reputed restaurant at Baga when enquired about the board displayed at the entrance said, that taking high denomination notes is not an issue but in case of odd bill, giving change was an issue.
Ramesh Khandolkar from Calangute who runs a small shop, said, “Due to shortage of small denomination notes, I have told customers that high denomination notes will be accepted if you make a bill of that amount.”
Water sports operators first in the morning refused to accept Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 notes but later in the day as they were losing business started accepting them.