No money for food, groceries, say workers

A Shanmugam, a cashier in a small eatery at New Washermenpet, who was sitting idle during lunch time on Thursday said, “By this time, the hotel would have been full of customers but only a few came. The mental agony started in the morning itself, when I went to buy vegetables and meat items. I could not buy them because they did not accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes,” he lamented. “I was not aware of such news and when I gave a Rs 500 note to a customer. He declined it and I had to borrow money from my neighbour to pay him. The business was also very dull,” said A Manickam, who runs a stationary shop near Marina beach. He added that such announcement would be a big challenge to the business for some days. Small vendors in the Flower Bazaar said that they could not purchase flowers from the wholesale market.  

“We do not stash away cash like the upper class. But whatever little we earn we save it as 500s and 1000s and keep it away from the prying eyes of our husbands who booze every night. If they come across a 100 rupee note they snatch it away and so we resorted to such savings,” lamented Kasturi, a domestic help. “They said I can encash it tomorrow but today I have been forced to borrow Rs 200 from my workplace to run my kitchen.” 

The office goers faced a different situation.  P. Mohan Raj employed in an insurance company in Anna Salai had a hard time to buy lunch. “A few of us were staying in a mansion in the city. When I went to the hotel to have lunch, I could not buy one as the hotel refused to give me change for Rs 1000. I had to go back to office and ask my friends to accompany me. I spent the entire amount. My friends will pay back but till then, I am left with nothing,” says Mohan Raj.