SHAIKH JAMALUDDIN | NT
Staff Reporter
PANAJI
The demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes has brought business activities to a grinding halt in the city, and if the situation does not improve soon then people will have to face shortages of all basic necessities.
A visit to the city municipal market revealed that most of the traders, shopkeepers and vendors selling fish, vegetables and fruits are not willing to accept the scrapped notes.
The vendors said that they can accept the demonetised notes and deposit the same in banks but the very thought of standing in queues at banks puts them off.
It is interesting to note that the recently introduced Rs 2000 note is also not accepted by the vendors and shopkeepers. They say if they accept the new note then they will find it difficult to get change as customers are also refusing to accept the demonetised notes.
A restaurateur said that they get minimum of 15 per cent profit in the business and the money is deposited regularly.
“We have put up a board saying ‘we do not accept high denomination notes of Rs 500 and 1000’,” he said.
Bread makers, who are ruing about the ill-effects of demonetisation, said that there has been no demand for their products so they are cutting down on production.
However, some vendors said that they are accepting the demonetised notes provided customers are buying goods worth Rs 500 or
Rs 1000.
The demonetisation has also given anxious moments to the people, who rushed to buy salt packets in the city market. There has been a rumour that there could be shortage of salt.
The rumour helped shopkeepers cash in on, as a salt packet having MRP of Rs 17 was being sold for Rs 50 at Chimbel.
