HYDERABAD: The common man will be ushering in 2017 with a feeling of hopelessness. Even 50 days after the decision to demonetise `500 and `1,000 notes, there has been no respite. While some organisations are neck deep in debts because of lack of availability of cash, individuals are spending hours in queues to withdraw `2,500.
No hope left
The state of 120 children with special needs at Shekinah Foundation, that runs partly with aid provided by the Central government and also donations from public has not received any donations in the last two months.
“People are coming forward with the noble thought of donating money, but are unable to. How would they, when they are spending their time in queues outside banks or ATMs? We have been functioning by getting the required goods on credit. Soon, that option will also be exhausted,” rued CH Ishkar, founder.
Though online transactions and using cheques is an option, Ishkar pointed, “We can make transactions if we have money in our accounts. Our problems starts and ends there.”
Exhausted senior citizens
S Bhima Reddy from Senior Citizens Association in Nallakunta shared that problems of senior citizens are of a different nature. “There were never separate queues for us in any of the banks in our area. Though none of us had to spend hours or sweat our time in queues, going to the bank every alternate day for cash is not easy,” said the 69-year-old. This amount is only sufficient for a few days. Though `500 notes have eased their change problems a bit, no separate queues for senior citizens has added to his misery.
“I personally requested bank officials to give me a little more so that I don’t have to go back, but they are helpless. It is a tedious task and it has been like this since November 8,” he added.
Standing in ATM queues for long hours is also not feasible. “The queues are not as bad as they used to be. But it’s tiring,” said Bhima Reddy. His group of friends who go for a walk, have breakfast in the morning and the next thing they do is stand in an ATM queue as cash is loaded during that time.
Better, but still suffering
For salaried employees like P Devadanam adjusting to the situation has become the way of life. He hasn’t been able to withdraw his salary and the consequences have been nothing but a nightmare.
“I haven’t paid my childrens’ school fee in two months as I was unable to withdraw my salary. I couldn’t take time off work to spend hours in banks or ATMs. The situation is slightly better now, but it is not easy,” he shared. Devadanam had visited ATMs four times in the last week.