The continuing cash crunch since the November 8 announcement of demonetisation of higher value currency notes has seen people throng the banks in huge numbers.
Here, we list out the latest news from across the country on the after-effects of demonetisation:
1. Cash crunch affecting mental health, say psychiatrists
Centre's demonetisation decision is taking toll on the mental health of many cash strapped businessmen in rural areas of the West Bengal, whose entire sales are in cash.
According to psychiatrists, they have been getting a significant number of patients suffering from mental stress after the centre's move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.
Most of such patients are from middle and upper-middle class families belonging from rural areas where the reach of plastic money is limited.
2. With tightened norms, use of ink, bank queues shorten
With tightening of the exchange norms and use of indelible ink, the serpentine queues before bank branches have shortened, though the ATM transaction continues to be a nightmare in the metropolis.
Today several banks witnessed no queues as exchanges norms were tightened in addition to the use of indelible ink, which kept many people away.
However, nationalised banks like the Bank of Maharashtra, State Bank of India and others saw no betterment in the situation as people continued to throng for exchange of old currency notes.
3. Private hospitals in Delhi directed to accept cheques, drafts
Delhi government has issued strict instructions to all private hospitals to accept cheques, demand drafts and online payments from patients.
The government issued a circular in this regard in the wake of complaints that some hospitals were not accepting cheques and demand drafts following demonetisation, leading to inconvenience to patients.
4. Maharashtra stamp duty collection drops 37 per cent
Stamp duty collection in Maharashtra has dropped by 37 per cent after the Centre demonetised high-value notes, a senior official said today.
The Union government's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was announced 10 days back and stamp duty collection is already down by 37 per cent across the state, inspector general of registration (IGR) and controller of stamps N Ramaswamy said.
5. Media houses halt publication of morningers in Imphal
Imphal-based print media today halted publication of daily papers from Imphal following acute shortage of currency for exchanges with the hawkers, as the burden of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes continued to have its impact on various sectors including the fourth estate.
Seeking an alternative arrangement, from the side of the government, a sit-in-protest was also jointly organised by the All Manipur Newspaper Sales and Distributors Association and All Manipur Newspaper Publishers Association at Keisampat area
at the heart of Imphal town on Friday.