Old Rs. 500 currency notes will no longer be accepted at petrol pumps and airline ticket counters from December 3 onwards, the government announced on Thursday, amending its November 24 decision to permit the use of such notes till December 15.
Separately, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry reiterated that toll levies would resume on National Highways from December 3, but added a caveat to its earlier position of accepting old Rs. 500 notes till December 15. Now, commuters will not be able to use the old notes for toll payments below Rs. 200.
“The old Rs. 500 notes will be accepted till the midnight of December 15, but this will only be for purchasing FASTags and for making toll payments of more than Rs. 200,” the Road Transport Ministry said.
Effectively, commuters using cars, jeeps and vans will not be able to use old Rs. 500 bites for payment of toll tax as they are lower than Rs. 200 for a single journey at most National Highway stretches. However, a senior Ministry official said the old notes can be used for buying monthly passes for toll payments.
Enough swipe machines
The Centre said all toll plazas had been equipped with adequate numbers of swipe machines for accepting payments through credit or debit cards. Toll fee could also be paid through electronic wallets.
“It has been decided that with effect from midnight of December 2, 2016, petrol, diesel and gas outlets of public sector oil and gas marketing companies will be removed from the exempted category for receipt of old Rs. 500 bank notes,” the Finance Ministry said. “Supply of LPG continues to be in the exempted category for payment through old Rs. 500 bank notes,” it stressed.
“Similarly, purchase of air tickets at airports was included initially in the exempted category,” the statement added. “It is observed that air ticketing counters have facilities to accept non cash/digital payments. Further, enough time has been allowed for travellers to be prepared with legal tender and/or non-cash modes of payment.”
Exempted categories
All other exempted categories would continue to allow the use of old currency notes till December 15, as per the November 24 decision. These include payments at government hospitals, all pharmacies for prescribed medicines and ticket counters for railways and government buses. Similarly, purchases would be permitted till December 15 at consumer cooperative stores (up to Rs. 5,000), government-run milk booths, crematoria and burial grounds, purchase of seeds from public sector outlets, payment of government school fees up to Rs. 2,000 per student, fees for government colleges and pre-paid mobile top-ups up to Rs. 500 per top-up.
