Novel ways to overcome currency crunch

Many approaching e-seva centres, BSNL offices to clear dues with HD notes

November 20, 2016 12:00 am | Updated December 02, 2016 04:40 pm IST - VISAKHAPATNAM:

Customers drawing cash through cheque, while others line up to make deposits at the Maharanipeta branch of SBI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Customers drawing cash through cheque, while others line up to make deposits at the Maharanipeta branch of SBI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

As currency crisis is sweeping all over, people have also taken recourse to smart ways to beat it.

In the City of Destiny not to be cowed down due to shortage of currency notes, many having Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes which were demonetised on midnight of November 8, have started approaching e-seva centres, BSNL and certain bank counters to pay their dues. Some of them were seen striking a deal with others by convincing them to hand over their Rs.100 notes in exchange of paying their dues by swiping their credit/debit cards.

“I came here for treatment of my father-in-law. As we were left with high denomination notes which were declared not a legal tender, I asked one person with two Rs.2,000 notes to give them to me. In exchange, I swiped my credit card,” Sandhya Choudhury, home-maker from Sagarnagar, said.

Andhra Bank and a few other banks offering acceptance of old notes for clearing credit dues also came as a big relief to many. “I could pay my entire dues by depositing 10 notes of Rs.1,000,” admitted Ramasubba Rao, private sector employee.

Some were seen requesting customers at BSNL MVP Colony service centre to hand over them new note of Rs.2,000 in exchange of old notes.

E-seva centres all over the State are accepting property tax and other payments due to the government with old notes. By crowd-sourcing, a Bengaluru-based startup cashnocash.com is providing information on ATMs where cash is available pan India. “Since Monday, the day we launched the website which provides information by typing area pin core, we are getting an overwhelming response,” Hiree co-founder Manjunath Talwar said. NASSCOM 10k startup programme manager Vijay Bawra said the website gives information on ATMs in any city where there is not much rush to enable people to draw cash. Meanwhile, online campaign through social media on not to hide Rs.20, Rs.50 and Rs.100 currency notes and circulate them in the market is fast catching up.

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