Queues, confusion and violence marked the first day of currency exchange in Kolkata two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonitisation of Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes in his Government’s bid to fight fake currency and black money.
Serpentine queues, often hundreds of metres long, particularly in the suburban regions where the banking outlets are less in number, could be seen with agitated people though backing the Government’s bold move cursed the banking officials for the mess. This, even as tricksters set off their own exchange regime deducting Rs100 for every Rs500 note they swapped.
“I have been traveling distances on bicycle that I travel on bus to save some money to buy my daily provisions. We have stored rice and dal but there is no vegetable, nor even potato to feed my family,” said a middle-aged man at Burrrabazar, reminding he had taken leave from office to get even Rs1,000.
Ruma Ghosh a woman who is to be married this Sunday said, “My old mother who is a widow cannot travel so I have come to withdraw Rs10,000 for the basic rituals. I will have to travel miles to alert the invitees that the wedding party has been postponed. Now it will only be a formal marriage.”
At a private hospital in the upmarket Alipore area of Kolkata, the medical staff brutally beat up media persons for trying to cover stories of their “non-cooperation” and a television journalist was so badly beaten that he had to be hospitalised with grave head injuries.
At a private super-specialty hospital at Mukundpur in South Kolkata, a Bangladeshi national made a helpless appeal to the Government to, “Do something for us. I sold my land and came with a few lakhs for my son’s treatment. He has a hole in his heart. Now the hospital is not accepting the money. I have Rs1.5 lakh which I got through the State Bank. Now where do I goIJ I have no ID card mentioned in your RBI proforma to exchange my money.”
At Barrackpore the people exchanged fisticuffs as the queues went haywire and the police had to intervene. However an elderly man said, “Though we are facing some trouble in the short run, I welcome the Government’s decision to ban these notes..”
This is going to be better for our country’s future economy.”
Amid the confusion, chaos and competition, younger generation enjoyed the “selfie-able moment” by snaping selfies with the new Rs2,000 and Rs500 notes thanking Modi uncle for trying to clean up the economy.
“Swachchh Bharat does not only mean cleaner lavatory but also a clean economy” a student from a South Kolkata school said.
Meanwhile, RBI’s Kolkata chapter on Thursday offered helplines for people in problem across Bengal, Andaman Nicobar Islands and elsewhere.
An RBI Press release said: “Starting from November 10, 2016, members of public/corporates, business firms, societies, trusts, etc, holding these notes can tender them at any office of the Reserve Bank or any bank branch and obtain value thereof by credit into their respective bank accounts.
“For more details members of the public may visit RBI website www.rbi.org.in and Government web site www.gov.nic.in for further information and details.” It provided the contact details of the helpdesk at RBI Kolkata as follows. Accordingly SK Haldar, AGM can be contacted in 033-22627210 and Sunil Kumar Jha, AGM can be contacted in 033-22312956. People can Email their issues at public query kolkata@rbi.org.in.