VIJAYAWADA: It has been a roller-coaster ride for the Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazaar in the city. If in the immediate aftermath of demonetisation of high value currency, people did transact business with whatever ‘small change’ they had, the numbers steadily came down and by Nov 15, it was reduced to a pale shadow of its former self.
But then, came in, two micro ATMs — one from Andhra Bank and the other from IDFC, both of which helped restore some semblance of life.
However, on Thursday, a full month after demonetisation, the situation was back to square one. The micro ATMs were removed and e-PoS machines, supposed to arrive last week, haven’t debuted at the rythu bazaar yet. Result: neither the customers nor the vendors had small change.
“I purchase vegetables and fruits from here every weekend. I hardly have any change now. I have these `2,000 notes. Who will give me change for `2000 in this bazaar?”
A Badri Narayana, a customer, told Express. He, however, hit upon an idea. The man, who usually buys groceries worth `300 a week, on Thursday spent over `1,400! He was buying not only for himself but his neighbours too. But not all customers are as ingenuous.
“Due to cash shortage, activities at the rythu bazaars have come to a halt in the last 10 days. Everyone is bringing `2,000 notes. Sellers are not in a position to sell, while buyers are forced to leave empty-handed. A majority of the vendors and farmers are suffering huge losses due to decay of vegetables,” Ramesh Babu, estate officer of the Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazaar, explained.