Demonetization of all the currency notes of Rs1,000 and Rs500 denominations from Tuesday midnight must have hit those hard sitting on the piles of black money. But Aam Aadmi of the city, the traders, customers and office-goers profoundly welcomed the Union government’s move. Except few arguments and confrontations, the railway ticket booking clerks, petrol station guys and medicine shop owners were found happily accepting Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes in city.
Shutters of number of stores in many parts of the city including Albert Ekka Chowk and Main Road, Upper Bazaar, Harmu Road, Ratu Road, lalpur and HB Road were seen closed. However, crowd poured in to railway stations and petrol pumps to utilize their Rs1,000 and 500 notes in as many numbers as possible. “Some people were seen getting waiting tickets booked in the morning against their notes and getting those tickets cancelled after sometime only to get their larger denomination notes dispensed. However, it remained an affair of only half an hour or so,” said a ticket booking agent seeking anonymity.
But those small traders who kept their stores open as usual were not worried of low footfall. “This was very much expected. Customers having Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes want to accumulate dispensable currencies on Thursday and Friday first. They know that we will not be accepting those demonetized notes, rightly so.
Hence, the market is dull and going to remain dull even on Thursday,” said Ravi Arora, who runs a garment shop at Albert Ekka Chowk along with his father.
“I can say that this is the best move by any government of Independent India. Modi government has taken a fantastic move against black money, which is used in bomb blasts and terrorism against our own brothers.
Those who cry of problems in these two days must understand that one has to suffer for two days even in normal fever. We have been suffering from the cancer of corruption and black money since 70 years. So, we must suffer for at least 70 hours and stand firm with the government,” said an elderly Manzoor Alam at Balaji Petrol Pump, who, even after being refused to fill his two-wheeler fuel tank due to shortage of smaller denominations, was found mediating quarrelsome incidents there.
Police personnel were found guarding each and every petrol pump in the city to avoid any heated arguments. “The problem is that no one knew any such move was about to be taken.
So, we didn’t keep smaller denominations in countless numbers. We are also helpless, especially when we come to know that someone has come to us only to get change of Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes,” said a fuel vending boy Devraj in Chutia area. A couple of medicine stores were also found helping the patients suffering with chronic diseases by offering them medicines against Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes.