PM Modi’s well-planned surgical strike against black money and the currency revamp that took the country by surprise soon after he addressed to the nation on Tuesday evening is being widely hailed, except his principal political opponents.
Modi was reportedly preparing the move ever since he came to power. The citizens of the Silk City have shown great admiration for the move, even though they had to stand in queue for hours to deposit and exchange the old currency notes worth Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 amidst bedlam and gross mismanagement.
According to information available, the Brahmapur Head Post Office had to deposit all the old currency notes worth Rs 81 lakh available as on November 8 in their respective account before making indent for the new currency notes for exchange. According to the Post Master of Head Post Office, the office had sent an indent of Rs 1 crore initially and deputed five persons to receive the money. Each customer has to fill up the prescribed form and submit the same with a copy of ID proof before the designated counter which was to function from 9.30 am to 5 pm, the Post Master added.
Similarly, the Post Office is maintaining a register and is going to accept all deposits under CP network through CBS process options.
When our correspondent visited around 2.30 pm, he was surprised to notice that hundreds of customers were compelled to hunt other sources/exchange centres such as banks, as no new currency notes were made available in the Post Office counters forcing the customers to bear inconvenience.
The Dharmanagar branch of ICCI Bank though had submitted a similar indent for the new currency worth Rs 2 crore for exchange till 2.30 pm, no new currency arrived at the bank.
However, keeping the public perceptions and pressure from the crowd in mind, the branch reduced the prescribed quantum of exchange value from Rs 4,000 to Rs 2,000 by issuing old Rs 100 notes per customer out of their balance of the previous day and somehow managed the show.
The Old Bus stand branch of Andhra Bank though worked hard to disburse new currency notes worth Rs 4,000 to each customer through exchange, but closed the main gate sharp at 5 pm instead of 6 pm on the pretext of non availability of balance. Hot arguments by some
customers with the security staff brought no relief, said a customer who was denied entry at 5.05 pm.
There was an unprecedented rush in SBI’s main branch, Gandhinagar branch and Bazar branch in which each customer reportedly had to stand in queue for nearly 2 hours to get turn. There was no provision for senior citizens and physically disabled persons posing inconvenience to them.
According to an unconfirmed source, gold was sold at an all time high rate Rs 41,000 per 10 grams here on Wednesday night to people those who had unaccounted and black money at their disposal. Apprehending the disclosure of accumulated money, some business men and elite entities preferred to buy gold, sources said.
Similarly, according to a leader of an association who refused identify, the old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 are being exchanged/ sold in silk city market by some private individuals and business men deducting 10 per cent from the value of the notes.
As a result, some innocent and needy persons and people who hail from villages to buy their desired items from the local market were reportedly made victims.