Frustration writ large on their faces, people continued to throng banks and ATMs desperate to exchange or deposit demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes across Tamil Nadu even as there was no let up in the milling crowds a week after withdrawal of the currency.
With government enhancing limit of the old and defunct higher denomination currency that can be exchanged for fresh notes from Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 per day, people lined up in front of bank counters and ATMs since morning.
Some of them had rushed to the counters following reports that new Rs 500 notes were being distributed, but turned back disappointed. A majority of ATMs ran dry within hours.
A customer, who wanted to withdraw money from a public sector Bank ATM, said, "I received message in WhatsApp that government will introduce new Rs 500 notes after Rs 2,000 notes from today.I have been waiting here for some 45 minutes, most customers have received only the new Rs 2,000 notes."
Another customer, waiting in the queue for over an hour, said, "Though I have time to deposit the old defunct Rs 500 notes before December 30, to meet my daily expenses I am standing in the queue to exchange some notes. It has been quite an ordeal."
Though some customers received Rs 2,000 notes they were finding it difficult to exchange them at shops as there were no small change to make any transactions.
Meanwhile, the famous Koyambedu vegetable market, which receives almost 500 truck loads of vegetables from various southern states every day, wore a deserted look due to lack of patronage from customers and small retailers.
"Customers come in large numbers almost every day and buy vegetables from here to use them at least for a week. But last few days the number has dropped substantially. Due to cash crunch, we are unable to pay the truck owners, small retailers," Koyambedu Vegetable Market Association, Vice-President, S Chandran told PTI.
"Almost Rs four crore worth of business takes place here every day. But now it is very hard to make even 50 per cent of the business," he said, urging the Centre to include vegetable traders in the exemption list like fuel outlets and railway stations.
"Unless government comes with some initiatives, it is going to be very difficult for us in coming days," he said.
He said piles of vegetables are yet to be sold. "Since the small retailer buys only one sack of vegetables, he will increase the price of a kg of a vegetable to Rs 30 or Rs 40 per bag to the public. Right now a kilo of carrot or potato costs less than Rs 10. This may increase.
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