A day after the Central Government issued an order to stop exchanging of high-value banned old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 with the new one, confusions prevailed among people in several parts of the national Capital on Friday.
Some labourers seen standing outside banks to exchange old notes, were asked by the bank officials, to deposit them in their accounts as the practice has been stopped.
Many daily wagers were also seen standing outside Punjab National Bank Branch at Azadpur totally oblivious of the fact that that counter to exchange old demonetised notes have been closed. They were then directed to deposit the amount in their accounts.
Failing in his attempt at exchanging Specialised Bank Notes at a State Bank of India in Chandni Chowk, Bhola Paswan, a sanitation worker from Bihar, got agitated and started arguing with the
security guard. Others in queue intervened and informed
him about the Government’s new decision.
“I wanted to change Rs 3,000, all in five hundred denominations but was denied by the bank official. I do not have a bank account and they (bank officers) are asking me to visit the Reserve Bank of India if I want to exchange. I do not know what and who is RBI. This is the money that I have been saving for months, now what will I doIJ I am clueless,” said a crestfallen Bhola.
But there were some, like 59-year-old Faizan Ahmad, an Indira Vikas Colony resident, who were happy to deposit money in less than half-an hour at the Punjab National Bank’s Nirankari Colony branch.
“I feel lucky today. I have been withdrawing money using ICICI. My turn came in less than 30 minutes. last time I had to wait for almost three hours. Today there were a few people,” he said.